Song of Shadow

by Natalya Capello

  They walked for hours before the trees began to thin out and rooftops appeared near the horizon. Their steps slowed, becoming softer as they crept close enough to see the wooden buildings of Damerel.

  Vandermere tugged at her sleeve and pointed to a group of tents that were a few hundred yards to their right, just outside of the town.

  “That’s most likely them. It’s probably easy to keep watch for anyone coming in. Like us,” she whispered. “How are we going to scout anything out? Evangeline knows me.”

  Vandermere paused and turned her direction. “I can go in alone, if you like. I might be able to get an idea of what we are facing.”

  “Beth is probably with Evangeline and she knows you.”

  “Then we will need a distraction,” Vandermere said. “Something to keep them busy. Could you create a storm?”

  Lorelei shook her head with a sigh. “I don’t have the Aether to do more than create a breeze, much less a storm.”

  Vandermere rubbed his chin as he stared off at the village. “Then we’re going to have to rely on me to at least see what we are facing.”

  “Even if we do, how can we succeed? You have no sword, and I have no Aether.” She pressed her back against a tree and slid to the ground. “This is hopeless.”

  Vandermere knelt beside her and rested his hand on hers. “Hey, we’ll figure this out. You are powerful…you just need a boost.”

  Lorelei raised her hands and looked around, tears running down her face. “Do you see anything around here I can use to regain Aether? Not a wine bottle in sight. We’ve lost Amara and Wes and now we’re going to lose Vaana because I’m weak.”

  “There are other ways for you to gain Aether. Better ways.”

  Lorelei sniffed in a silent laugh. “You see a Wellspring around here?”

  “No, you have me.”

  With those words, Vandermere leaned forward and kissed her. She blinked, her mouth partially open under his, as a ripple of shock went through her. It was followed by a small surge of Aether. With a soft sigh, she responded to his kiss, opening her mouth to allow his tongue to brush against hers. Her blood began to sing as the Aether spread through her. Better than wine. She hadn’t been this full, this high on Aether since before she’d been stuck on Kiste Isle with nuns. Her hands gripped onto the lapels of his coat as she pulled him closer. She needed more; she wanted all of him.

  “Well, well, well,” a female’s voice broke through Lorelei’s euphoria. “I find the most interesting things on patrol.”

  Lorelei jerked away from Vandermere and turned a wide-eyed gaze to Beth and the two leather clad males with her.

  “Well, this can go two ways—peacefully or not.” Beth drew a thin rapier from her belt. “I’m hoping for not.”

  37

  Lorelei drew in a deep breath. If she could sing a quick song, she could knock Beth back.

  With a nod from Beth, one of the males, a phooka, raised his crossbow.

  Beth wagged her finger at Lorelei. “One pretty note and Marlin, here, will plant a bolt in your throat. Now, both of you are going to come along quietly.”

  Vandermere rose to his knees, leaning close to Lorelei as he made to stand. “Duck.”

  With that, Vandermere turned, lifted one hand clutching a rock, and hurled it at the phooka holding the crossbow. The phooka shouted as the rock hit the crossbow, knocking it out of his hands. Lorelei rolled away from the tree. The bolt hit another tree with a soft thunk.

  “Oh, good,” Beth said. “You chose to resist.”

  She darted forward and jabbed her sword at Lorelei’s chest. Of its own volition, or Murgleis’s, Lorelei’s arm rose with blade in hand and deflected the blow.

  “Hey!” she shouted.

  Let me handle the swordplay, Murgleis said. Just sing. Your friend is going to need your help.

  The second male, a redcap, gave a soft growl and yanked a broad sword from his belt. He tromped towards Vandermere with a bloodthirsty grin on his face. The phooka scooped up the crossbow and fumbled with reloading it. A chill went through Lorelei. Vandermere had no weapon. He was going to get perforated by that brute headed his way.

  Lorelei drew in a deep breath and began to sing. She got two notes out before Beth planted a kick to her abdomen. Lorelei let out a choking grunt and stumbled back a few steps.

  “None of that.” Beth closed in on her.

  Fine, Lorelei thought to Murgleis. Give me an opening.

  Lorelei’s shoulders and back lost the tension that had been building since she’d woken that morning. Murgleis swayed her body, moving from one foot to another with the sword held loosely.

  Beth tilted her head. “You’re grinning. Almost like you’re looking forward to this.”

  “Am I grinning?”

  Just concentrated on the singing, Murgleis said.

  How is this working anyway? I need to control my breathing and position to sing.

  You have control of it. I’m just supplementing a few moves for your arms and legs. Besides, you know how to fight and sing.

  Lorelei stopped asking questions and waited for Beth to make a move. Waited for the right opening.

  Beth spun toward them, following through with a slashing blow. Lorelei’s hand rose and knocked the attack back. Metal clanged against metal as they clashed in a series of attacks. On the last, Lorelei’s wrist rotated in a swift motion and Beth’s sword flew from her hands. It landed on the ground a few feet away.

  Before Beth could recover, Lorelei burst out a quick verse, concentrating her will on the pressure in the air. It increased and shot out at Beth and the bowman behind her, slamming into them. Beth and the phooka with the crossbow were knocked off their feet.

  “Vandermere, grab the sword!” Lorelei called.

  Vandermere leapt away from the redcap as he swung and darted towards the sword. Lorelei stepped in between Beth and her sword with Murgleis raised in her hand.

  Lorelei glared down at Beth. “Not as fun as you thought I would be.”

  “On the contrary, the fun is just beginning.”

  Beth spun on the ground with one leg thrust out to sweep Lorelei off her feet. Lorelei hopped back with a soft curse. Beth lunged up and forward, drawing a dagger from her boot in a fluid motion. The dagger buried itself in Lorelei’s left shoulder. Lorelei let out a small cry and wrenched herself away from Beth.

  Damn it all to Gehenna, Beth was fast.

  Panting, Lorelei raised her sword. She was doing well with Murgleis before. They needed to keep up the strategy. Vandermere faced off with the redcap, the clang of their swords echoing through the trees. The phooka behind Beth raised his crossbow and aimed it in Lorelei’s direction. Lorelei drew in a deep breath and let out a quick song.

  Beth flicked her wrist and sent a dagger flying at the first note that left Lorelei’s throat. Murgleis flashed green in the sunlight and deflected the dagger, and it careened into a tree trunk to the side. Lorelei concentrated on the air around the phooka and snatched it away. The phooka clutched his throat, his face turning gray-blue and chest heaving. It was a shock, but he was still standing. She’d have to keep up the song for a little longer in order to take him out.

  Vandermere rushed the redcap and buried Beth’s sword into him. The redcap cried out, dropping to his knees. With a nod to Lorelei, Vandermere darted toward the phooka.

  Beth’s glare darted from Lorelei to Vandermere. A smirk lighted on her face. She flicked her wrist, a small throwing knife appearing in her hand from some hidden area beneath her sleeve, and flung it at Vandermere. Lorelei took a step towards him, her song breaking off in a warning cry. The blade embedded itself into his right thigh. He stumbled forward for several feet before he hit the ground. The sword clattered from his hold.

  Lorelei’s gaze snapped back to Beth and her grip tightened on Murgleis’s hilt. She charged towards Beth with a loud battle scream. She was tired of this female taking and hurting her friends. Beth’s eyes widened and she darted out of the way of Lorelei’s
first swing. The second caught Beth in her right hip.

  Beth let out a cry and stumbled back a few steps. Lorelei darted forward, her arm guided by Murgleis. The sword flashed in the sun at it slashed and cut. Beth twisted to the side as she attempted to avoid the attacks. Lorelei spun and brought Murgleis across Beth’s abdomen. Beth let out a gasp and clutched her stomach. She collapsed to the ground in a ball.

  Vandermere had managed to pick himself up and recover Beth’s sword. He stood facing off with the phooka’s raised crossbow. With Lorelei’s song gone, the air had returned around him and he’d been able to regain his breath.

  Lorelei sang a quick verse in his direction. A wave of force shot off in his direction. It hit him, knocking him off balance, and the crossbow fell from his hand. Vandermere lunged at the phooka and plunged the rapier into his chest.

  Beth glared up at Lorelei, one hand clutching her middle while the other seemed to search the ground for a way to save herself.

  “You may have bested me, but I wounded your friend over there.” Beth let out a pain filled laugh. “You expect to save the heretic by yourself?”

  “I think you should be more worried about yourself.” Lorelei took a step forward and raised the sword.

  This soul is mine, Murgleis said. As payment for my assistance.

  Wait. That’s not part of our agreement. An ill feeling filled Lorelei’s stomach.

  Hers or a part of yours…that’s the way things are.

  Lorelei swallowed the bile rising in her throat. Sluagh were notorious for taking souls. Had she really thought Murgleis would be so different?

  Fine, she said. But I won’t do it.

  No need.

  With that, Lorelei’s hand raised and Murgleis plunged into Beth’s chest. Beth gave a scream that was cut short as blood spewed from her mouth. She shuddered and fell still, slumping forward. Shaking, Lorelei dropped the sword, closing her eyes and drawing a deep breath.

  She turned her attention to Vandermere. He sat and propped himself up against a nearby tree with his wounded leg raised. Lorelei rushed and knelt beside him.

  “Are you all right?” Her chest tightened.

  He gave a gravely chuckle. “I don’t think she hit anything vital, but it’s bleeding a lot.”

  “Hold on. There has to be something we can use to stop the bleeding,” she said.

  She scanned the ground and her gaze fell on the fallen faerie. They may have been scouts, but they had to have something to tend to their wounds in case they ran into anything. Maybe they had some of that healing water Vaana had been carrying.

  Lorelei returned to Beth’s body first. If any of them possessed the water, it would be her.

  She crept over to her. Beth stared up at the sky with glassy dead eyes. A queasy feeling filled Lorelei’s stomach and she swallowed hard. With a deep breath, she leaned down and closed Beth’s eyes, then began searching her body. She found a roll of cloth bandages and a small bottle of some sort of alcohol in a large pouch attached to Beth’s belt but no healing water. The search of the other two proved just as fruitless. More bandages.

  Lorelei returned to Vandermere with her armful of bandages and alcohol. “This was all I was able to find.”

  “It will have to be enough then.” Vandermere gave her a pain-filled smile. “Think you can dress me up?”

  “I can try.” Lorelei knelt beside him, using her lap to hold the bandages. “I’m not great at it. If I knew how to heal with my song…”

  Vandermere raised an eyebrow. “That’s possible?”

  “Ilia, one of my friends, could do it, but she was a higher initiate than I was. I just learned the basics of controlling the elements before I was kicked out.” Lorelei leaned down, trying to get a better view of the knife and wound. “I think you’re going to need to roll over.”

  With a groan, Vandermere shifted away from the tree and rolled onto his stomach. The knife was still embedded into his thigh and blood had soaked through the leg of his pants. She ripped his pants for a better view. That was usually how Vaana started. Lorelei bit her lip as she stared down at the wound.

  “Should I remove the knife?” She reached for the handle.

  “Don’t.” Vandermere reached back and caught her hand. “Neither of us know how to do this, but it may be worse if you do. Just bandage around it.”

  She nodded, ripped a part of the bandage from the rest of the roll, and poured some of the alcohol on it. He hissed as she dabbed it on the wound and rubbed the blade down. She took the rest of the roll and wrapped it around his leg and the knife with his help.

  “You can’t fight like this,” she said. “I can try to heal you.”

  Vandermere shook his head. “You need the Aether for Evangeline. Remember why we are here.”

  “But not at the cost of you.” Lorelei’s eyes stung. She couldn’t lose another person.

  “I’ll be all right,” he said. “We’ll find a healer soon. Or I can sneak into the town or something. You worry about getting Vaana back.”

  Lorelei’s fingers tightened around the bandage. “It’s just me and Evangeline is an Apostle who most likely has a lot of guards and priests with her. What if I’m captured?”

  “Lorelei, you are more than enough. Trust me, your control of the elements goes well beyond the basics. You are more than a match for her and whatever she brings with her.”

  She raised her gaze up to the sky as a tear slipped from her eye. “I could call a storm, like you said. Thanks to you, I have enough Aether.”

  “Do it and stop worrying about me,” Vandermere said. “I’ll be fine. Trust me. I’m a seer, after all.”

  Lorelei let out a soft laugh and wiped the tears from her cheeks. Leave it to Vandermere to see what she didn’t. She had done many great things on her journey. She’d freed gods with her songs. She could take Evangeline.

  “I’ll save Vaana and bring her back here to heal you. It’s the least she could do,” Lorelei brushed a kiss across his forehead and stood.

  She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, holding it in her diaphragm. Her song started out low, with a heavy beat as she called the clouds to form. Within minutes, the sky became the color of slate with the clouds shifting and churning.

  She increased the intensity of the melody and stomped her foot with the rhythm. Lighting flashed in the clouds above and thunder rumbled from a short distance away. At the crescendo, the rain poured from the sky in a violent frenzy.

  Vandermere ducked his head, wrapping his coat around his head.

  Lorelei continued to sing, pulling at the strings of the storm to ensure it would stay after she ended her song. She let the last note die.

  The storm pelted harder.

  She retrieved Murgleis from where she’d dropped him and stood straight, facing the town.

  She and her demon sword had a false apostle to defeat.

  38

  The storm raged through the town of Damerel and through the temporary encampment. Rain pounded on the tops of the tents with their emblazoned symbols of the Apostle of Fire like battering rams at the gates of a keep. Within minutes, the ground turned to a muddy swamp.

  In the camp, several of the priests withdrew into the tents, leaving only those unlucky enough to be on duty.

  A smirk lit Lorelei’s lips. Those unlucky few would be the first to feel her wrath.

  Their gazes snapped in her direction as she approached the tents. One raised a sword in her direction. The other held a crossbow, loaded and ready.

  “Halt!” a guard with the sword called. “This area is off limits. If you are seeking the Apostle, she will return to Damerel in the morning.”

  “Oh, I’m looking for her, but it can’t wait until morning,” Lorelei said. “I have words for her. But I suppose I should get her attention.”

  With that, she sang a short verse and the rain around the guards froze and sharpened into tiny shards of ice. Both men let out screams as hundreds of tiny daggers slashed at their skin, turning the gro
und beneath them a multicolor of blood. As the guards attempted to duck away from the falling shards, Lorelei darted to the guard with the crossbow and swung Murgleis in a downward arc. The blade cut him open from shoulder to hip. His scream as he collapsed echoed over the storm.

  Four other guards darted out of the tents along with a red robed priest. Their eyes widened as they took in the scene of Lorelei standing over one fallen guard and another clutching his chest with blood flowing down his body.

  “Halt!” several shouted in a chorus as they rushed towards Lorelei.

  Lorelei grinned and shifted her weight in preparation. Her voice rose above the falling rain in a short verse, once again turning the rain into tiny blades of ice. The shouts turned into screams as they rushed into the downpour of pain. The guard nearest her came at her with his sword aimed at her neck. Lorelei dodged to the side and brought Murgleis up to parry his blow. They danced the dance of combat for several blows, the clang of their swords ringing out as the rest of the guards struggled through the shards to reach them. With a swift spin, Lorelei got past his defense and cut him across his midsection. The guard clutched his stomach and collapsed.

  She turned back to the remaining guards. The fire priest had managed to back out of the mess and stood a few feet away, chanting with his eyes closed and his brow knitted. The rain must have been impeding his ability to call flames. He raised his hands up and clenched his fists with his body rocking in a rhythm. An orange flame burst over the heads of the guards and the shards of ice evaporated in puffs of smoke. It wasn’t much, but it gave the guards enough time to rushed forward out of the icy onslaught.

  Lorelei sighed and shook her shoulders. Four guards and one priest weren’t bad. She’d taken down more at Verdain’s tower. However, she needed to conserve most of her Aether for dealing with Evangeline. She would have to play this carefully.

  The guards stopped several feet from the entrance of camp where Lorelei stood and took up a formation.