The God of Assassins (Wine of the Gods Book 11)

by Pam Uphoff

  "Damn! Quicksilver, stop shielding and come cure your brother."

  "What?" She stood up suddenly, pulling out a wine bottle, as she ran toward them. "Xen what happened?"

  "That won't help. It was an essential transformation spell. He's zapped all my power genes." Xen staggered to his feet. Low energy. Either that or he added something to the spell.

  "I've got to get to the City. He said something about it being a big day. The Council Hall, he said." He nearly fell as he bent to pick up his sword. "We'd better all go."

  Quicksilver touched his shoulder and power flooded in. "It won't last, be sensible."

  Pyrite was there nosing at him, worried. Perfect. He grabbed a hank of mane and vaulted aboard. "Take me to Karista, Horsie, we're not done yet."

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Winter1393, day 17

  Karista, Kingdom of the West

  The Council had very politely invited Princess Amilie to speak with them. A rare occurrence; although their privilege of summoning the Royals was one they invoked at least twice a year to ensure it was not forgotten, King Leano and Rufi were the usual recipients.

  Garit stole a moment of time to slip into the observation room. None of the other frequent observers were present.

  Most of the Council was present, only the five members of the select committee were absent, and Garit wondered if they had opted to call on Amilie before the session—or if they were speaking to her privately.

  He slipped back out of the room and spotted the council president up on the balcony above the Grand Entry Hall. Lord Fidel Iron escorting the princess toward the stairs.

  The first thing Garit noticed was that Amilie was furious.

  Second, that Iron was close behind her, raising his hand to her back.

  Garit bolted up the stairs.

  He grabbed Amilie as she sprawled forward and let his momentum swing her around him in an awkward dance and back to the top step. But that spin had given him a brief glimpse of two Council Guards charging up the stairs, drawing swords . . . he didn't stop but scrambled to push Amilie back, away from Lord Fidel, away from the other two Council Guards that were now pushing past the Council President and drawing on him.

  Her eyes widened. "Garit! Watch out!"

  "Run!" Garit knew himself to be a very good swordsman. He also knew that he couldn't take four men on a wide balcony. He backed rapidly, drawing both sword and knife, hoping to give his sister-in-law enough time to escape.

  Crashes and clashes, noise of confusion from below. Garit couldn't see what was happening.

  Lord Fidel could. "Damn it, where is that man!"

  "Ricardo won't be coming." Xen's voice.

  "Xen, get up here, they're after Amilie!" Garit yelled, still backing away.

  Xen didn't quite fly up the stairs. He hit the President across the temple with the flat of his blade and lunged to kill the first guard. "Where is she? Guard her, I'll be right behind you."

  Xen blocked a thrust with his knife, kicked, pulled his sword from the first guard and brought it around to intercept a swing from the third. The fourth turned to help and Garit ran him through. Jerked his sword out and ran down the balcony. Where had she gone? The first two corridors were empty, the third, Amilie was fleeing back towards him, guards in pursuit. Garit stepped to the side to let her by and thrust at the closest guard. The man's breastplate defected the blow, and his momentum knocked Garit aside. Garit's knife came up from below and gutted him, then he got his sword back up to block the next man's sword. He tripped and one swing missed him, but agony knifed into his leg, then Xen was there, precise and deadly to take out the next three. He glance behind. "Garit, try these doors, we need to get Amilie someplace we can protect her until the rest of the troops get here."

  Garit scrambled out of the mess of guts and blood, blood pouring down the outside of his leg and saw Amilie pressed against the wall, and more guards coming. "Xen, there's more coming on this side."

  "Slow them down."

  Garit limped down to face them. Trying to overcome the weariness that was oozing over him. He blocked the first thrust, ducked a swing, backed, backed, his leg crumpled and Amilie screamed. Xen's sword swept a thrust aside and suddenly the two men were falling. Xen dropped sword and knife, produced a hip flask and poured something down Garit's throat. "Swallow it." He grabbed Garit and dragged him down the corridor. "Princess, if you can press the edges of the wound together it will heal faster."

  Then he was retrieving his weapons and leaping over bodies to attack the next wave of guards. Garit looked the other way and gulped. More Council guards running toward them from that direction.

  Xen retreated, dragging two bodies. Dropping them on other bodies where they'd form a rough mound of bodies across the corridor. Then he trotted past them to deal with the threat from that side.

  Garit looked at his leg, where Amilie was squeezing the slice together. Lesser cuts he couldn't even remember getting were sealing themselves. He pinched one together and tried to get up.

  "Not yet." Amilie was pale. "Let it heal for as long as you can."

  "Already did." Garit reached for his sword and stood. He hobbled over to grab the nearest body and swung it up to the top of the pile. The guards on the other side were slowing, showing signs of organization.

  "I am Prince Garit Negue." Garit yelled at them. "I am preventing what looked like an attempt to assassinate Princess Amilie. What the flipping hell are you doing? I suggest you stop right there and get some orders."

  Low voiced orders. Then they charged, three abreast.

  Xen leaped into position on his left, a sword in each hand. Blood dripped from both, and had sprayed the man's uniform. Even the guards looked a little intimidated.

  Briefly.

  Xen lunged and put his sword through the nearest neck, the left handed sword swept a blade aside and stabbed deep into the guard's chest. Garit knocked a man's sword downward to stab into the barrier. Lunged and slashed across his neck. Garit flinched back as another guard leaped into place. A scream of metal on metal as Xen's sword flicked out to divert the strike upward. Garit stabbed in below, sidestepped to engage yet another guard . . .

  The Council guards drew back, horrified expressions on their faces. Six bodies on the ground.

  Xen stepped over the first wall of bodies and started heaving the newly fallen up to the top.

  Garit checked the other end where Xen had started another gruesome barricade while Garit was down. Checked Amilie, wide-eyed, plastered to a door in the wall.

  "This won't last long." Garit told her. "Someone with some sense and loyalty will show up."

  Her head jerked around as the barricade of bodies moved, people on the other side pulling it apart.

  Garit spotted a grabbing hand, chopped. He slashed and stabbed, trying to keep the Guards on the other side away. "How's Xen doing?"

  "Good, he's working on a bigger wall over there." She sounded nearly hysterical, but she picked up a sword and held it like she had some idea of what to do with it.

  She joined him in poking and slashing from out of reach. Unfortunately the structure was far from stable. It tumbled, bodies were dragged out of the way . . .

  Then Xen joined them. "All right, Garit, shall we have a word with these fellows? Princess, would you keep an eye on the other side?"

  Xen leaped through the opening and worked in a blur of steel. Garit followed, watching his left and getting damn little chance to do anything. They chased the Guards a dozen yards, then retreated, dragging a body apiece, and going back for more. They had their barricade rebuilt before the other was broached, and Amilie retreated behind them again. They traded blows over the disappearing pile until a commotion behind the guards turned half of them around.

  Xen and Garit promptly attacked, leaping over the last of the bodies.

  Beyond them, two figures were surrounded by more Council Guards. Xen whipped into them taking the ones facing them so quickly the other Guards didn't have time to turn. Th
e newcomers were a mismatched pair, back to back. One large, one small. Easterly and Deena, of course. They leaped for the opening Xen made.

  The corridor was narrower than the balcony, but even Xen was hard pressed to cover it from one direction. With four of them, it became more possible. Easterly was good, but Deena wasn't a strong swordswoman . . . "Deena back Xen up, Easterly and I will hold the other side."

  With two good swordsmen it was possible, especially since they already had a good start on another rampart of bodies.

  "So, I take it Ricardo knew something was going to happen here?"

  "Yeah, Ricardo walked right up t'us, and then zapped Xen. No magic, in case you were wondering about t'lack of fireballs. Then he bragged, said something about a date at the Council Hall. He must have thought he could kill Xen."

  "Stupid. Umm, I thought you were a wizard?"

  "What? Oh Hell!" Easterly flung out his left hand and a streak of light hit the nearest guard. "I can't believe I didn't think to . . . "

  The guards backed off a bit and someone in the back yelled for the crossbowmen to come up.

  "Shield, Easterly. Physical." Xen yelled. "Deena? How are your shields?"

  "Fine for crossbows."

  "Angle them a bit, so the bolts ricochet up."

  Garit turned at a commotion to see Thomu Iron stalking toward them, propping his unsteady father.

  "Garit's here? Damn it all!" The younger man glared over the bodies. "I'd hoped to spare you. You'd have made a much better Spear than Farit will."

  "Thomu, are you insane? I'm third in line. In the unlikely event Rufi leaves more of you than a smear of slime, my father and brother will both disavow you."

  "They're dead by now, they were going to take care of them first."

  "Who?" Easterly had sword and knife at ready. "We've captured eight of the gang. And if you're waiting for Ricardo, he won't be killing anyone, today."

  Thomu paused, then shook his head. "No, sorry, your bluff won't work." He looked at the guards. "Wear them down, keep at them with the crossbows until the effort of keeping up their shields exhausts them."

  Xen nodded. "Very nice." He grabbed bodies and dragged them back a bit. The guards swore as he started rebuilding a barrier of their slain comrades.

  Garit joined him. I wonder how long a wizard and a witch can hold shields? We may need a barrier of meat real soon. He winced at the sudden snap of bowstrings. Bolts crashed, bouncing back from thin air.

  "Damn it, Xen, I'm two oversized floors off the ground. How do I pull power?" Deena ran sticky fingers through blood soaked hair.

  "Touch the wall, follow the stones all the way down." Xen looked around thoughtfully.

  "Ah." She relaxed, the creases in her forehead easing.

  "You can probably channel some to Easterly, he's not getting much light."

  "What are you doing?" They heard the horrified voice through the shield.

  "Getting you more honor than you deserve, brother."

  "What have you done? Father, how could you do this?"

  Garit stepped up on the mound of bodies to look down the hallway.

  Farit, in a nice clean street suit had his father by the lapels and was shaking him. "Decades of serving the Kingdom, and now this? Are you mad?"

  Thomu shoved him, "Get off him, you subservient wimp."

  "Was this your idea? Get rid of another bastard and suddenly they'll make you king?" Farit's shaking finger swept from Xen to Thomu. Dropped to his side.

  "That's exactly what's going to happ . . . " Thomu stepped back, looked at his chest in astonishment. Looked from the knife hilt to his brother in disbelief, looked at his father beseechingly. The Council Guards grabbed Farit. Lord Fidel leaped forward. "Don't hurt him, don't hurt . . . "

  Then a tide of the King's Own charged up the passage, and the Council Guards were trapped against Easterly's shields.

  Staven stepped out from between the guards. "Drop. Your. Weapons. Now!"

  Points dropped, hands sagged, and swords clattered to the ground. Council Guards or not, they obeyed the Sword Heir.

  Fidel Iron looked up from his wounded son. "They were trying to kill Princess Amilie. Garit and Xen are your assassins."

  "Keep the shield up, for a minute, Easterly." Garit teetered on his bloody platform. "Let's make sure they know we're the Good Guys."

  The King's Own spotted him, over the guards, recognized him. Colonel Benner looked . . . a little relieved.

  "Is everyone safe?" Garit called, standing beside Xen, wavering a bit and leaning on him. Magic medicine or not he'd lost a lot of blood. Xen seemed to be leaning back.

  "We can't find Amilie. She was here, summoned by the Council." Staven frowned at them.

  "She's safe." Garit looked down at his sister-in-law.

  She looked at what he was standing on and shuddered. Waved a hand and called back to Staven. "I'm here. Garit saved me. Lord Iron wanted to know if I would influence Rolo 'the right way.' When I said no and walked out, he tried to kill me."

  Iron flinched and looked away. He sagged down beside his younger son.

  Farit turned his back on them, tears running down his face.

  The Colonel's head came up in relief. "All accounted for, then." He frowned down at the floor behind him. "We were attacked by some of the Council Guards, others seem to be confused and have no clue why they ought to be fighting us. Lord Fidel, here . . . "

  "Was going to push Amilie down the stairs to give his sons the Crown and Spear. Old Gods. Maybe he had a stroke or something. Is Farit all right? He didn't seem to have a part in this." Garit climbed down the far side of the mound and limped forward. Bumped into something hard and invisible.

  "Yes, sir, they're all alive, although I don't think Thomu is going to make it."

  Garit and Xen exchanged looks. Garit spotted the flask on the bloody floor and retrieved it. "Easterly, I need to pass this through."

  "Right side's open."

  "Give Thomu a slug of this, make him swallow it."

  Xen sighed and started trying to wipe his blades clean. Gave up and sagged down to sit on the floor. "We need him to answer questions, make sure we get everyone involved in this mess."

  Garit eyed him uncertainly. "What about your magic?"

  "Well, I happen to know the world's foremost experts in Transformations. I suspect they'll be able to undo whatever it is that Ricardo did." He leaned over and laid down on the sticky floor. "I feel awful."

  Garit snatched the flask back from the sergeant left holding it and helped him take a slug of it.

  Deena looked worriedly at Xen and stooped to put a hand on his arm. Garit supposed she might be feeding him power. "Damn it. I can't reach Quicksilver."

  Garit looked up at Staven. "What about the rest of the family? Was there another attempt at the Palace?"

  "No, nothing. But I dare say they're locking down the family. This Yellow person came tearing up to the front gate saying there was something going on at the Council Hall, so I grabbed the first batch of guards and headed this way."

  "We didn't actually kill Ricardo, but we did injure him." Xen gasped. "Second time this week, surely he'll be out of commission for a while."

  "Good." Staven offered Amilie his arm and escorted her past the bodies. Staying between her and the Irons.

  Deena and Easterly looked anxious . . .

  "Go with them. Report to Rufi and Colonel Janic." Garit turned to the other officer. "Colonel Benner, I'm going to try to call for help of an unusual kind. Do not attack the person I hope shows up."

  Benner nodded.

  "I'm going to feel like such an ass if this doesn't work!" Garit stood up. "God of War! I summon you!"

  "For god sake leave the horse at home." Xen croaked.

  Too late. Ceiling plaster exploded and the floor creaked ominously.

  "Damn." The big man ducked out of the helmet that remained stuck in a solid wooden beam, and dived off the horse. With a flick of his fingers the huge animal disappeared.
<
br />   Garit flinched. "Sorry, sir. Xen . . . Ricardo did something to him and we're afraid to . . . "

  The big man knelt.

  "I always wondered what happened when someone summoned you someplace small." Xen whispered. "Essential Transformation, sabotaging the power genes."

  "Nasty. Sounds like something Nil would think of. Next time, call me sooner."

  And suddenly the Dark Lady was there too. Touching him, and then Quicksilver was there as well. The Dark Lady made a grabbing gesture and suddenly Xen was covered in bronze, looking very much like a statue.

  "This will give us time to figure out the correct cure." Quicksilver glanced over at Garit. "He's experiencing no time at all; he's getting no worse inside there, while we work out exactly what we need to do."

  Another carriage from the palace arrived, and Xen was carried down, stiff as a board, and hauled off to the palace. His mother and sister went with him. The God of War disappeared, leaving the helmet stuck in the ceiling.

  More guards came and went. At some point Lord Fidel and his children were taken away. Garit buttonholed the captain of that guard detail and emphasized that Lord Farit had apparently had no part of the conspiracy, and had stabbed Thomu when he found out.

  "Yes, sir." The guard was very respectful. Garit looked around. Everyone around him looked very respectful.

  "Humph. A week ago I was an inconvenient nuisance."

  Benner colored a bit. "Sorry, sir. We . . . perhaps started respecting the younger princes less than we ought because Prince Rebo . . . and we ought to have known better than to doubt Prince Xen, but he was a spook, not a soldier . . . oh sure, he could fight but . . . "

  "But I suspected him, and people believed me." Staven stepped off the stairs and looked around the hall. Looked at the piles of bodies. "The Princess tells us it was you two against all of them."

  "Xen was unbelievable."

  Benner grinned. "That's what all the survivors are saying. They're terrified of him, and pretty damn scared of you. I'm ashamed that you and he had to do our jobs." He met Garit's eye. "And you did it very well."

  A palace page trotted up the stairs, his eyes going wide as he saw the blood where the bodies had lain, and then the bodies not yet moved. He jerked his eyes away and spotted Garit immediately. "King's compliments, he would like to see Prince Staven, Prince Garit, and Prince Xen when convenient."