by Bryan Davis
When Dikaios joined her, Ember lowered her head, obviously ashamed. He rubbed his nose against her neck and said, “Do not fret. No one is angry. But we must leave this area immediately.”
As they moved on, a whistle sounded from somewhere to the left. Another answered.
The horses stopped. Billy held his breath. Bonnie reached over and grabbed his hand. With the usual breezes deathly still, the marsh fell into complete silence.
About thirty feet away, the tops of the reeds shook, and a deep voice called out. “Muskrats?”
“I see none,” another replied, “but I smell them.”
“Very strange. I thought we killed the last one.” He let out a hearty laugh. “Muskrat hams have a strong flavor, but they taste better than boots.”
Billy cringed. They were Nephilim. That distinctive throaty laugh gave them away. He set a hand on his gun but kept it in its holster. Shooting in the dark wasn’t a great idea, especially without knowing exactly who or what was out there.
Soon, a face appeared above the reeds. Billy, Bonnie, and the two horses lowered their heads.
“Maybe one traveled here after the wall disappeared,” the first Naphil said.
Another head protruded from the marsh’s foliage. “Maybe. If you can spear it, I will keep it a secret between us.”
“Flint would have our scalps if he found out.”
“You have been at your outpost too long. The rules have changed. With the wall of fire gone, we have no energy source, and Flint’s people have freedom to hunt beyond the boundary now. Flint will not begrudge us a muskrat that we kill ourselves.”
“The survivors are too weak to hunt. The sickness has left none with arms strong enough to throw a spear or legs swift enough to run down a prey.”
“The dragons will hunt in their place.”
“Roxil, perhaps, but Goliath will guard the prisoner. Flint will not risk losing that little dog.”
Another Naphil laugh boomed. “He has quite a bark, does he not?”
“More than a bark. Chazaq is not pleased with the wound the mongrel delivered. From what I hear, this was not their first skirmish. Chazaq is looking forward to when Flint decides it is time to dispose of … What was the dog’s name?”
“Walter. It will not be long. It seems that the warrior chief has chosen to forsake our prisoner. If Goliath detects no approaching dragon by dawn, we will not have to worry about sharing our muskrat with him. Walter will make a fine meal.”
Billy eased his grip on the gun. These guards didn’t know any intruders were present. Yet, their conversation seemed odd—forced, contrived, as if they were trying to communicate in code.
Laughing, the two Nephilim parted, each one sloshing through the shallow water. Dikaios took the opportunity to mask the sound of his own movements and plodded ahead. After a few minutes, they reached a clearing. Ahead lay the village, a collection of rundown huts built on a raised area of mud. Some of the homes had partial roofs with perforated thatching and others had no roof at all. A few tilted to the side, the supporting logs either crumbled or missing, the apparent victims of rot or theft. Nearly every home had damage of some kind, though one brick-and-mortar house closer to the water seemed strong and sturdy.
Dikaios nodded at the brick house. “Flint’s,” he whispered as he continued. When they climbed up the rise, Billy looked from house to house. No movement. No sound. During the past four years, he had imagined Flint’s people training for war behind the fiery wall, making ready to attack and kill innocent people, but apparently disease and lack of food had devastated them. No wonder they hadn’t attacked. They couldn’t. With only a few Nephilim and two enemy dragons, they wouldn’t stand a chance. Now the strategy of sending the shadow people alone made sense. They hoped to bring the same devastation to the villagers and win the war through attrition.
Then why capture Walter? They were better off staying in hiding and waiting for the disease to take hold. They must have known that Elam wouldn’t attack first, especially after winning the initial battle. Why would they risk bringing the wrath of a host of dragons down on them? They would lose in a rout.
When they came within a stone’s throw of Flint’s house, the horses stopped. “Ember and I will wait here,” Dikaios whispered. “Any closer and our scent will be detected by dragons or humans.”
Billy and Bonnie slid to the ground and tiptoed through the mud until they reached the front door. Billy pressed his back against the wall on one side of the door, while Bonnie stooped at the other.
All was quiet. Of course Elam would want a progress report at this point, but the danger was too great. Risking even a whisper now was out of the question.
He edged in front of the door and laid his ear against the panel. Again, not a sound. He looked at Bonnie, pointed at his ear, and shook his head, trying to signal his findings.
As he moved his hand to the door’s lift latch, he let his eyes dart around. Both horses stood still, mostly veiled by shadows. A muffled laugh sounded from the marsh, a Naphil likely returning to his post. Sweat streamed down Billy’s cheek, and dried blood made his tunic stick to his skin, raising the agonizing sting once again. There really wasn’t much choice. He had to go in, ready to fight.
Just as he touched the latch, a hiss came from the side of the house. He jerked his head around. A hooded figure skulked toward him. “Billy,” a woman whispered. “Do not go in.”
He slid out the gun, pointed it, and spoke with a low, commanding tone. “Stop in your tracks.”
The woman halted and let her hood fall back. “It is I, Semiramis.”
Chapter 11
Love Never Fails
I am your ally,” Semiramis said, “not your enemy.”
“I doubt that.” Billy kept the gun trained on her. “Why did you escape?”
She scowled. “That was four years ago. Are you still holding that against me?”
“If you had waited, we would have let you go. All we wanted was to confirm your story about where Shiloh was being held, and you were right, so—”
“Of course I was right,” she said, her voice sharpening. “Why should I acquiesce to imprisonment when I had committed no crime? I helped you once again, did I not?”
“Okay, okay.” He lowered the gun but kept it drawn. “What do you want?”
“To deliver your friend, Walter. He is unconscious, so I had to drag him to the corner, but when I saw you, I left him there.” She backed slowly away. “Come. You will see.”
Billy motioned for Bonnie to follow. When they arrived at the corner of the house, Semiramis stooped next to a body lying face-up in the mud. With the moon shining directly on him, his identity was clear.
“Walter,” Billy whispered.
Bonnie gripped Billy’s shoulder. “Is he all right?”
“He’s been drugged,” Semiramis said. “His hands and feet are still bound, but he is fine otherwise. I was in a hurry to get away, so I have not yet cut him free.” She withdrew a knife from under her cloak.
Billy extended the gun, watching her every move. With a quiet snick, she cut through the ropes binding Walter’s ankles and wrists. “You are familiar with my apothecary skills, Billy. I slipped a powerful sleeping potion into the drinking water, powerful enough to subdue two Nephilim guards, so there is no need for whispers. Unfortunately, it seems that Walter also drank the water, but I think he will recover. He is breathing well.”
“We’ll see about that.” Billy nodded at Bonnie. “Cover me.”
As Bonnie drew her sword, Billy put the gun away. Then, lifting Walter over his shoulder, he carried him to Dikaios and Ember. His wounded arm throbbed, and the cut on his chest stung, but he had to push through the pain.
“Lay him over me in riding position,” Dikaios said. “Ember will keep him from falling over until you return.”
With help from Ember, Billy pushed Walter onto Dikaios and balanced his body. Now semi-conscious, Walter instinctively gripped Dikaios’s mane and stayed in place,
while Ember stood at his side, watchful.
When he ran back to the house, he pulled out his gun again and nodded at Bonnie. “I’ll keep an eye on her now.”
Semiramis’s brow bent angrily. “I have helped you time after time, Billy. I saved Listener’s life, I guided you to Shiloh, I have been spying on Flint, and now I have rescued Walter. What else must I do to prove myself?”
Billy looked at Bonnie again. The confused expression on her face probably mirrored his own. There had to be a way to prove if she was a friend or an enemy. Maybe a prodding for information? “If you’ve been spying on Flint, maybe you know how he learned about our plans to defend against tonight’s attack.”
“I do know. Arramos has entered Second Eden.” She laid a hand on his arm. “Billy, Arramos is the devil himself. He is crafty and powerful, and if someone is giving away your secrets, you can be certain that Arramos was involved.”
“Why would Flint kidnap Walter? I figured out his army is sick, so why would he invite an attack?”
“You are correct. Disease has ravaged this village, and even Flint is deathly ill. He was desperate, so he was willing to listen to Goliath’s counsel. I was close at hand only an hour ago, and I overheard the conversation. Goliath and Flint do not believe the warrior chief would attack and risk dropping his village guard. As long as he was unaware of the epidemic here, Elam would always choose to keep his forces in a defensive posture.”
She raised a narrow finger. “Remember, the devil is cunning, and he surmised that the two of you would come, because you need someone to fly without alerting Goliath, and you would never let her go alone. With Excalibur and your fire-breathing, you make a formidable army on your own, so the two of you together would be a sufficient rescue party. Once they captured you, it would prove to Elam that rescue attempts were futile and costly, and he would send no more warriors.”
“Why would they want us?”
“Not both of you. They want Bonnie. Arramos has longed to have her as a prisoner for years, and he will do anything to capture her.”
Billy watched her eyes, sincere and piercing. Did she know about the Vacants’ kidnapping attempt? Had she noticed their wounds? Should he probe her to find out if the ambush was planned by Arramos through Goliath and Flint? No. It was probably better to keep the attack to themselves. “So why do they want Bonnie?”
“May I show you something?” Semiramis asked, flashing her knife.
Billy pulled out the gun again. “Just move slowly and let me see your hands at all times.”
“You are making me angry.” Semiramis pushed the knife into his free hand and spread out her arms. “If you do not trust me, then slay me now. I cannot help you if you are constantly fearful of betrayal at my hands. While it is true that I am already dead, that blade will send me to my eternal punishment.”
Billy glared at the knife, a stony blade at the end of a rough wooden hilt. Of course he couldn’t take her offer, and she knew it. This act could be a dramatic bluff. Still, if she was bluffing, she was the best actress he had ever seen. What else could he do? He had to play along for now.
He gave her the knife. “Go ahead.”
Shifting her gaze, Semiramis touched Bonnie’s waist. “Have you ever felt anything odd here, as if something was attached to your body?”
She nodded. “All the time. It started back when my mother and I were running from a slayer. We never figured out what it was, so I just got used to it.”
Semiramis glanced at Billy. “It is an invisible line that connects your body to Earth. Flint wants to make sure you stay here, so you can act as an anchor in this world. With the attachment, he will be able to call upon the unredeemed dead in Hades and raise up a new army that you and your dragons will never be able to withstand.”
“If the rope’s invisible,” Bonnie said, “how do you know about it?”
Semiramis lowered her head, her tone weaker. “I was the one who sent Mardon to put it on you.”
“Mardon?” Billy repeated. “Elam mentioned him. He’s Nimrod’s son.”
“The same.” She looked up at him again. “I used Mardon to do the bidding of Arramos before I rebelled and escaped.”
Bonnie brushed her hand across her waist. “I can sense a pull, so why can’t I feel it out in front of me?”
“It is so thin now, it passes by your hand like the thinnest of spiders’ webs.” She showed her the knife. “Only this can cut it. It is a staurolite blade. There are only a few in existence.”
As if grabbing a string, she wrapped her hand around the air in front of Bonnie and made a vertical slice. “There,” she said, holding up her fist. “I have the rope, and you are now free.”
“What will you do with it?” Bonnie asked.
“I must go on a long journey to destroy it. If it stays here, the anchor will be set, and the armies of Hell will gather at the command of Arramos. Yet, I have foiled their plans, and you are free to go and tell Elam that Flint’s army is broken and must be routed by a swift and forceful attack.”
Billy looked at her face, trying to cut through any feigned sincerity. If this was all a bluff, it was the most cunning bluff he could imagine. If Elam attacked in full force, his own village would be undefended. Then, if Flint’s army was actually still intact, they could devastate the villagers left behind. Maybe that was why this place was so deserted. They were lying in wait somewhere, ready to spring their trap. If only there was some way to find out for sure.
Billy reached for the door’s latch. “Bonnie, keep an eye on her.”
Letting out a huff, Semiramis crossed her arms over her chest, one hand still gripping her knife and the other holding fast to the invisible rope. “You seek truth in strange and deadly places, but if you must see for yourself in order to trust someone who has done only good to you, then step cautiously, for if you arouse those behind this dwelling, your lives, the very lives that I just saved, will be forfeit.”
Billy nodded at the horses. “Bonnie, maybe it would be better if you get ready to escape with Walter, just in case.”
She walked slowly backwards. “What about Semiramis? Who’ll watch her while you’re in there?”
Semiramis huffed again but said nothing.
“As long as you’re safe,” Billy said, “I’m not worried about her.”
After waiting for Bonnie to get to the horses, he lifted the latch and peeked inside. It was dark and quiet.
“You will find Flint near the back door,” Semiramis said. “After his conversation with Goliath, he returned to the house, and the drug made him collapse on the floor.”
“How do you know all of this?”
“Your suspicions never end, do they?”
“Just tell me.”
“When Goliath flew away, the drug began taking hold of Flint and his two Nephilim guards, so I was free to walk boldly in their presence. They had no power to subdue me, and since I am leaving to destroy this rope, they will never see me again.”
“What about Hunter? Where is he?”
“He is waiting for me in the northlands. We will start our journey by returning him to his home.”
Billy wanted to hurry, but another question dogged him. With Semiramis spilling so much information, now was a good time to ask. “Goliath took the weed from the garden. What was in it? Someone who carried the disease?”
“No. The disease began weeks before the wall collapsed. The weed held a warrior, a man of strength and stature. As far as I know, he did not succumb to the illness, but I do not know where he is now.”
“Then he might be back soon.”
“Indeed. In fact, he was riding Goliath when he flew away. Perhaps they went in search of food. If so, their return could be at hand.”
“I’ll be ready.” Billy withdrew his sword and let its glow shine brightly as he entered the house. Tiptoeing, he waved the blade from one side to the other. The front room was spacious but empty, with holes in the walls that exposed decaying lattice work. Dikaios had mentioned
seeing the inside of Flint’s house and described it as relatively rich in décor, but it was certainly far from rich now. Without furniture or wall decorations, and with piles of nondescript debris lying here and there, it seemed no more than an abandoned shack.
As he pushed deeper into the house, the sounds of creaking footsteps followed. He looked back. With her hood again covering her head, Semiramis walked a few steps behind.
“Curious?” Billy asked.
“A better word would be, ‘Cautious.’ If Goliath returns, perhaps I can be of service, in spite of your never-ending suspicions.”
“Have it your way.” Leading with Excalibur, Billy picked up his pace until he reached the back wall where he found a blond-haired man lying faceup on the floor next to a wooden table and a single chair. A cup sat atop the table along with a pile of dried fruit, apparently partially eaten.
He leaned through an open back door and looked around. As expected, two Nephilim lay stretched out in the mud, one with an empty cup still in his hand. He walked closer and examined their sleeves. Neither wore Ashley’s band around his arm.
Billy curled his fingers tightly around the hilt. It would be so easy to kill them and take out two powerful enemies without risking anyone else’s blood. But, of course, he couldn’t. The professor’s wisdom had been emblazoned on his heart. A knight opposes his enemy face to face. A stab in the back is the way of the coward. If you must fight, attack your enemy head-on. That is the way of valor.
Killing a sleeping giant would be the coward’s way, the way he killed Palin. And he would never return to the life he had left behind.
He pulled back into the house and knelt next to the man’s body. At the end of a necklace, a glass egg, much like a villager’s companion, lay on his chest, dark and lifeless.
Billy looked up at Semiramis. “Is this Flint?”
When she nodded, her hood fell back again, revealing her long tresses, shimmering in Excalibur’s light. “He is drugged to be sure, but he was quite ill before my potion took effect. He will likely remain unconscious for a long time.”