The Raven Coven

by Emma Miles

He picked out about a dozen of them, then changed two. He also selected several packages of incense. Kesta opened the cabin window while she waited, wishing she could stand out on the deck. It would be months, possibly even years, before they sailed this ship back across the sea to Elden.

  She realised Jorrun had stopped packing. His shoulders rose and fell in a sigh.

  ‘Come on,’ he said. ‘Let’s go.’

  A fishing boat was coming in as they stepped across onto the wharf, a trail of seabirds screaming behind it. The light was starting to fade and Kesta’s stomach muscles tightened a little.

  They hadn’t long returned before the others knocked at the door. All three of them now wore swords and Cassien was wearing a leather jacket with a patch of chainmail sewn onto the breast and a narrow strip of it along the length of the spine. He held himself a little taller, a little surer. Kesta smiled, glad for the young man. Then nausea flipped her stomach over at the thought Osun might be doting on this boy to compensate for what he’d done to Milaiya.

  No one seemed comfortable sitting down. Gritting her teeth and taking in a breath, Kesta eased her own nerves before calling up her knowing to subtly send out calm.

  Jagna leapt to his feet. ‘What are you doing?’ He stared at Kesta, drawing his own power.

  Jorrun stepped forward to put himself between the Chemman and Kesta. ‘She is taking the edge off our nerves.’ His eyes were hard, the Dark Man was back.

  Jagna looked past Jorrun to glare at Kesta. ‘Don’t use your Fulmer magic on me!’

  She drew back her knowing, but Jorrun glanced over his shoulder and reaching into his shirt drew out his amulet and pulled it up over his head. ‘I’d give this to you, Jagna, but it belonged to my mother. Kesta.’ He turned and faced her. ‘I for one would be grateful for any courage you can lend me.’

  ‘You have more than enough of your own.’ She smiled, ignoring Jagna’s glare. ‘I was just trying to help everyone relax. It’s a while until we go to the palace and this much tension so early on won’t help any of us.’

  ‘I don’t like magic being used on me,’ Jagna grumbled, but he sat down.

  ‘I can understand that.’ Kesta nodded, not calling back her knowing but altering her tone and posture subtly. Jorrun took her cue and sat down.

  ‘Tell me about the palace.’ Kesta forced herself to look at Osun.

  ‘Of course.’ He leaned forward, a frown on his face, before looking up to speak. ‘It’s a long time since I was there, but I was able to access most areas of it when I was a child. There is a huge library.’ He grinned at Jorrun. ‘There are secret cupboards in it that hide stairs to take you up to the higher levels. The gardens aren’t as big as Arkoom …’

  Kesta watched as the others in the room began to settle in their chairs, Azrael perching on his candle. She had to admit Osun had a lovely voice, soothing and melodious. She got up and quietly put out the leftovers from their breakfast while they listened, Cassien and Jagna eventually joining in to talk of Navere. She didn’t like how quiet Jorrun had become. He looked down at the amulet in his hand, turning it over occasionally.

  ‘It’s time,’ he said without looking up.

  The others slowly ceased their conversation as his quiet words sunk in.

  Darkness had crept up on them, kept away by Azrael’s soft glow.

  Kesta nodded at Jorrun and went upstairs to put her trousers and tunic on under her dress, sliding her dagger into one of her long boots. She rejoined the others quickly, wanting to put on the false beard to make them all laugh. One look at Jorrun’s face changed her mind. She pulled the hood down over her face without a word.

  Jorrun turned to the fire-spirit. ‘Azra, you know where to meet us.’

  Azrael detached himself from the candle and disappeared up the chimney.

  ***

  Osun and Jagna took the lead as they left the safehouse and headed along the lane, Jorrun stepped in beside Kesta and Cassien walked at the rear. There were no lanterns lit as they made their way through the streets, the only light coming from the windows of the buildings around them.

  ‘Shall I use my knowing?’ Kesta asked under her breath.

  Jorrun drew in a breath, chewed on his lip and narrowed his eyes. He shook his head, breathing out. ‘It will be best if we use no magic as we get closer to the palace.’

  She didn’t reply, not wanting to draw attention to herself if anyone were watching their strange group.

  They passed few people, most of them armed and in a hurry to be off the streets themselves. They received curious stares but no one was interested in paying them too close attention. Looking up, Kesta saw the towers of the palace rising up above the city, almost invisible against the high cliffs that hemmed it in on the western side. Her heart fluttered and her breathing came just a little faster. She lost sight of the palace as the buildings grew taller and the streets narrower and then it was suddenly before them again.

  Osun led them along the high wall. She knew from their plan that they were looking for a servant’s gate. Osun stopped abruptly and turned to look at them. ‘The gate is just around the curve of the wall. As we have discussed there will be two guards on the outside, two within. We need to take out the two outside without warning those inside. If we all go together, they’ll sound the alarm straight away. Azrael is waiting to take the two inside as soon as we dispatch those outside.’

  ‘It needs to be me,’ Jorrun said.

  ‘No!’ Kesta interrupted him quickly. ‘Me. If any of you approach, they will be on guard. A woman alone will draw more curiosity than fear. It could give me the extra seconds to kill them.’

  ‘They would be as suspicious of a hooded figure as of a man.’ Jorrun shook his head.

  Without hesitation Kesta drew the hood up over her head and dropped in on the ground.

  ‘But your eye—’

  Kesta put a finger to his lips. ‘I’ll keep my head and eyes lowered.’

  ‘She would have the most chance,’ Osun agreed.

  Jorrun frowned, but nodded, not blinking as he held her gaze.

  ‘I’ll be quick, so be ready,’ she told them. She took her dagger out of her boot and twisting her arms behind her back, she pushed the blade through the material of her dress so it rested against the small of her back. She bent forward, tipping her head over and mussing up her long hair. Without looking back, she headed along the wall, taking slow, staggering steps, as though she were injured. She dearly wanted to call on her knowing and she realised for the first time how much she’d come to rely on her magic. She saw the guards from under her lashes and they reacted almost at once.

  ‘What’s this?’ One of them moved away from the gate, taking a few steps towards her.

  ‘Shove her inside the gate or let her go,’ the other guard said in a bored tone as she slowly advanced. ‘Not our job to be dealing with lost property.’

  ‘Finders, keepers, I say.’ The first man hitched his belt up a little and stalked toward her. Kesta cursed. If they separated it would make things harder for her to kill them both without a sound.

  ‘Well be quick!’ The second guard said in annoyance.

  Kesta grabbed her dagger and spun on her toes, extending her arm to slash through the guard’s throat as she passed. The second guard cursed, grabbing for his sword and turning to raise his fist to the gate. She threw her dagger and it caught him in the shoulder as he turned. Beyond the gate there was a muffled scream, quickly cut off. Kesta sprang hand over feet, landing beside the guard to grab her dagger and force it into his spine. He collapsed, his nails scoring down the wood of the gate. She wanted to throw up. Her breath came in gasps, but she grabbed his hair and pulled back his head to expose his throat so she could cut it.

  She staggered back. Jorrun took hold of her shoulders and crushed her in a hug, kissing her forehead. ‘Well done.’

  ‘He might have been a good ma—’

  ‘Don’t think about it,’ Jorrun growled against her ear.

  The gate opene
d a crack. Cassien drew his sword, and gesturing for the rest of them to stand clear, he pushed it open with his foot. Azrael immediately shot through the gap.

  ‘All clear,’ he hissed.

  They dragged the dead guards through and closed the gate. Kesta couldn’t bring herself to look at the two Azrael had killed. Although they were not burning, there was an awful smell of cooked flesh. Cassien went to push the large bolt across but Azrael made himself large to head him off.

  ‘Don’t touch the metal, Casssien! It will sstil be hot.’

  The young man’s eyes widened, turning crimson as they reflected the light of the fire-spirit. ‘Thank you.’ He used the hilt of his sword to knock the bolt into place.

  ‘Right,’ Osun said. ‘Our next step is the palace. Let’s get across these gardens as quickly as possible.’

  Kesta took the lead and no one objected. Like all Fulmer women, she’d been taught how to track and scout. She was nowhere near as good as the likes of Heara, but she was still good. Twice she glanced over her shoulder toward Osun and he pointed in the direction she needed to go. The gardens were eerily empty, the only thing that stirred was the gentlest of winds. They drew close to the granite walls and she slowed her steps, feeling more than seeing, as Osun came up beside her.

  ‘Look at the corner of this building,’ he whispered close to her ear.

  It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, then she started and turned to look at Osun, ‘Isn’t that foolish? Who would be so careless?’

  Osun raised his eyebrows. ‘Like putting in a gate for servants? It’s vanity, Kesta, and arrogance.’

  She nodded, her eyes following the line of gargoyles that decorated the sharp corner of the palace. They went all the way to the roof, past several balconies and windows.

  Osun took in a deep breath. ‘Up we go.’

  Cassien stepped forward but Osun stopped him. With a nod, Jorrun made his way to the wall and began to climb. Kesta didn’t like it, all her instincts screaming at her to protect him, but she had to respect his ability and it made sense for a magic user to go first. Osun followed next with Cassien. The thought of having Jagna behind her made her feel uneasy, so she gestured for him to proceed her.

  Jorrun passed the first two windows and the first balcony, reaching out an arm as he got to the next. Kesta held her breath as he pulled himself across, hanging for a moment before pulling himself up and climbing the rail. His silence was uncanny.

  The others followed, Jorrun helping to pull each one across and up. His eyes met Kesta’s, sharp in the moonlight, as he took her hand and she trusted his strength to take her weight as she sprang from the gargoyle to the balcony.

  The doors were open a little. From the flickering light within, they knew Azrael was there to meet them. It was Osun who pushed the doors open and they stepped into a room that had been ravaged. A bed frame remained and a dark coloured fabric lay discarded near the door. There was a chest with every drawer pulled open and a tapestry hung crookedly from one nail.

  ‘The palace has been looted.’ Osun turned to Jorrun.

  He gave the slightest shake of his head. ‘It’s of little matter, the value of the palace for us is in its people.’

  ‘You might not think so when it comes to administrating the city,’ Osun glowered. ‘The more we spend on defence, the less we have to buy women of blood.’

  Jorrun glanced at Kesta. ‘We’ll deal with that when we come to it. Let’s take the palace first.’

  Osun nodded. ‘I have no doubt Cepack will have taken the Overlord’s quarters for himself. I imagine he will keep his coven close.’

  Jorrun turned to look at Kesta, she tilted her head and held his gaze.

  ‘It might be worth risking your knowing,’ he murmured. ‘Although there is a good chance they will have amulets.’

  ‘No.’ Osun stepped toward the door and touched the handle. ‘No magic until we have to. We take the rooms two at a time, as quietly as we can. Cassien, you stick with Jorrun. Jagna, you and Kesta come with me.’

  Although she longed to fight beside Jorrun, Kesta couldn’t argue with Osun’s division of their strength. Jorrun was watching his brother, an almost distant look in his eyes. Despite being the elder, for most of their lives it had been Jorrun who’d taken command and taken the lead because of his power and their upbringing. It was hard to tell how Jorrun felt at Osun stepping up without hesitation.

  Jorrun nodded and Osun stepped through the door and into the corridor.

  ‘Let’s take the coven out first, quietly as we can,’ Jorrun whispered.

  Osun responded by going to the door opposite. Kesta quickly stepped up beside him, flexing her fingers ready to call up her magic, then thinking better of it she took her dagger out of her boot. The room was empty. They tried another and Kesta drew in a sharp breath, her heart beating faster, as she heard noises from the room Jorrun had entered. The next room they tried, they found someone sleeping in the bed. Osun and Jagna looked at each other. With an aching heart, Kesta crept over to the bed and forced her dagger down into the soft part of the sleeper’s throat above his collar bone. It wasn’t as silent or as quick a death as she’d hoped, the man choked on his own blood, face red, eyes bulging. She covered her face with her hands, praying for the sound to stop.

  She jumped when Osun touched her arm.

  ‘Let’s just go,’ he said.

  She didn’t argue.

  Jorrun and Cassien had already moved on to another room, when they came out, Jorrun’s skin was pale and he could barely look at her. They tried the next room. Again, someone was sleeping, but this time he was not alone. Kesta pointed at the woman and Osun nodded, Jagna holding back in the doorway. Kesta crept around the bed and placed a hand over the woman’s mouth as Osun drew his dagger. The woman woke at once, lashing out and trying to scream. The man opened his eyes and sat up, drawing his power at once. Osun stabbed at him, but the man caught the blow on his arm, spraying blood across the bed. Hating herself, Kesta removed her hand and punched the woman hard in the head. She caught the man’s arm, allowing Osun to stab him through the heart.

  Kesta drew herself up, eyes wide, she could feel power being summoned by at least three different people.

  ‘That’s it,’ she panted, looking from Osun to Jagna who still stood frozen at the door. ‘No more element of surprise.’ She leapt off the bed and called her own power to her hands.

  They met Jorrun and Cassien back out in the corridor just as a blonde-haired man burst out of his room, bare chested and red-eyed from sleep. Jorrun didn’t hesitate, but threw him down the corridor with a blast of air. There was no time to follow before two more men appeared and the ornate door to the Overlord’s room exploded outward in splinters. Kesta ran to put herself at Jorrun’s side, calling up a shield. Azrael followed Cepack out of his room, making himself as wide as the doorway. A small blast of flame passed close to Kesta’s shoulder, hitting Cepack’s shield with no effect. She didn’t need to turn to know it had come from Jagna. Kesta continued to shield while Jorrun blasted flame at the men of Cepack’s coven. They advanced together, side by side, pushing them back down the hall. Azrael darted in to engulf one of the men, his screams hurt deep inside Kesta’s brain, it was impossible not to hear, or feel.

  The remaining man scuttled toward Cepack, attempting to emulate Kesta and Jorrun, but Kesta increased her power and swept away his shield. The man tumbled down the corridor to be met by Azrael. She couldn’t help it, she closed her eyes.

  Cepack’s blast hit her hard, only Jorrun’s quick reactions halting the fiery-blue missile he’d hurled at her. She reacted instantly, directing a whirlwind at the man that lifted him off his feet and sucked the oxygen from his lungs. She stopped, her own chest heaving, he crumpled to the floor in a heap of broken bones. The moment their magic died in the corridor, Osun darted forward to make sure all of their enemies were dead with his sword.

  They all looked at Jorrun, who turned to his brother.

  Osun nodded. ‘Up
stairs,’ was all he said.

  Jorrun looked as though someone had walked over his grave.

  They found the stairway and hurried up, Osun taking the lead. They heard shouting and a steady, loud pounding. On reaching the upper corridor they saw two men trying to break into one of the rooms, the door was a double one and more ornate than the rest in the corridor. Both Osun and Cassien ran forward to engage the guards with their swords. Jorrun took a few steps and then froze. A door was open and Kesta stopped at his side to look in. It was a small room and bars stood across the window. There were two beds and layers of dust covered everything. On the floor a small wooden animal lay, perhaps a stag that had lost its antlers.

  ‘Kesta! Get him away from there!’

  She looked up to see Osun and Cassien had finished off the guards. Osun was staring at his brother, breathing hard. She reached up and grabbed Jorrun’s jaw, turning his head so that she could look into his frightened eyes.

  ‘Jorrun! Come on.’

  He shook himself and took her hand, letting her pull him toward Osun.

  Osun took in a deep breath, his eyes fixed on hers. He gave one, curt nod. ‘Kesta, this part is yours.’ He stood back and ushered Cassien out of the way. Kesta regarded the sturdy doors, feeling her fear rise even though she knew there was no danger on the other side. Calling up her power she blasted the door open. Slowly, the shards of wood settled and she stepped into the room on the balls of her feet.

  Several women were hiding there. All veiled, all wide-eyed, some crying. A baby bawled, red-faced, its mother crooning and jiggling it despite her own terror. There were two other babies and to Kesta, their silence seemed unnatural. Two small children peeped at her from behind a long curtain at the back of the room, a thin defence against sword or magic. Some of the women bore signs of injury, bruises turning now green and yellow, one had an arm in a sling and a nasty cut on her cheek.

  She couldn’t call her knowing, couldn’t help them that way, she could barely breathe. She tried to speak, but choked, emotion crushing her larynx and chest. She raised a hand and called flame to her fingertips.