Lies Ripped Open

by Steve McHugh

  “I’ll keep myself busy ’til then.”

  When Mortimer and I were alone, I sat beside him. “You know I’m going to kill you in here?”

  “I figured as much. You’re mad about the Williamses.”

  “About a lot of things. That’s just one of them. You shouldn’t have killed them.”

  “They betrayed the Reavers. They were always going to die. Liz’s refusal to give you up just sped up the timeline a little.”

  “Oh, I understand why you killed them. But you shouldn’t have. Shouldn’t have involved me either. The second you came after me, I was going to destroy you.”

  “It was a risk that Kelly decided to take. In hindsight, maybe we should have sent more experienced people after you. Kelly wasn’t exactly swimming with first-class killers.”

  “Cannon fodder.”

  “That’s pretty much it, yes. Only a handful of us ever went through the Harbinger trials. The griffin hadn’t either. He just really didn’t like you.”

  “Why?”

  “He hated Hades, and his control over Tartarus. He was never going to get to Hades or his kin, so you were the next best thing.”

  “Who is in charge?”

  “I don’t know.” He quickly raised his hands. “No need to torture me, I can’t tell you what I don’t know.”

  “I know you all work in small sects, I want information about them.”

  “There are a few dozen of them. Most consisting of a few actual Reavers bulked up with raw recruits. Each only knows the hierarchy for their sect. Only Kelly knows who she answers to. The rest of us answer to her.”

  “And you don’t know who Kelly answers to?”

  “Someone big,” he told me. “Someone very high up the food chain. But she’s not going to say more. And I certainly don’t know.”

  “Why are you being so cooperative?”

  “Why not? You caught me. I either talk or I get tortured and then talk. Besides, even if you bring down Kelly, there’s still plenty more Reavers out there. Plenty more killing our enemies, while we wait for the chance to take back Avalon.”

  “Killing Elaine is the main aim then.”

  “Elaine, and those who support her.”

  “Merlin?”

  “Merlin doesn’t support Elaine; Merlin can barely stand to be in the same city with her.”

  “Is he involved in this?”

  “I don’t know, I don’t answer to Merlin.”

  “So, that’s it? That’s all you know.”

  “I’m a soldier. And apparently not a very good one, since you captured me. What more do you actually want to know? Because I’ve now told you everything. Anything else I say will just be a rehash of what has already been said. Kelly is in charge, she’s going to kill you. If she doesn’t, there are plenty of people still out there who will. How’s that for a summary?”

  “You didn’t need to kill Lir.” I stood and stretched.

  “I didn’t, the griffin did.”

  “You didn’t try to stop him though.”

  “No, I wasn’t going to fight a griffin over some drunken stoner.”

  “Anything else?”

  “For months we tried to break Alan. We had that guard threaten him, his wife, people he loved. Then his wife began investigating, and she wouldn’t stop. We had to punish her, but it was difficult to do. She’s very powerful and has powerful allies; it had to be done just right. We also needed to send Alan a message to tell us what we wanted to know. Unfortunately that sort of backfired.”

  “Do you know who attacked Fiona?”

  “Nope. My guess is someone important. They wouldn’t have sent low-powered people after her. She’d have turned them to pulp. Now are you going to kill me or not? Because I have nothing more to say.”

  I sighed and plunged a blade of lightning into Mortimer’s head. He died silently and quickly, and with less suffering than he probably deserved.

  “So, none of them knew anything,” Remy said.

  “How long have you been there?”

  “Long enough, I’m pretty good at staying hidden. Even if we destroy this group, there are others out there.”

  “One thing at a time. First I’m going to see Felix. Then we’ll go back to Avalon and deal with Kelly and any remaining Reavers.”

  “I want the ones who attacked Fiona. That’s all I ask. I want to make sure the rest of these bastards know who they’re dealing with. I want to make sure no more of these Reavers think to come after any of us.”

  Felix was sitting up in his bed when I returned. Alan was nowhere to be seen, and I wondered what had happened between the two of them.

  “You came back. Good,” Felix said, his voice raw. He looked even worse than when I’d last seen him. “Your little rune is killing me. I might have been able to keep it going if I hadn’t already been injured, but in the state you found me, I’ve no chance. I’m not complaining, I’d rather die this way than crippled with pain while I vomit up my own lungs.”

  I wished there could have been another way. “I’m sorry about the Reavers. They managed to get hold of you twice. I shouldn’t have let that happen.”

  “Oh shut up, you sound like Alan. You weren’t around the first time, and you were unconscious the second. I have some things to tell you, so no interruptions. Firstly, you need to see Merlin.” He held up his hands. “Don’t complain, you need his help. There are a large enough number of Reavers out there that if something isn’t done about them they’ll become a serious threat. Avalon will need to deal with them. Elaine will need backing to do this. Merlin is the only person who can ensure that she has enough backing. Without him, it’ll always be Elaine trying to push through an act that arrests Avalon people. With Merlin, it’s an act of defense. You need him on your side, Nathan.”

  “Why me though? Why do I have to be the one who talks to him?”

  “Because if you go, it won’t be seen as pressuring. You go to him, you apologize for whatever happened between you, and you get his help. And yes, I said apologize. I know he did wrong, but this is the bigger picture.”

  I seethed internally, but accepted his point. “I can’t guarantee he’ll even see me.”

  “Oh he’ll see you. Any time someone comes to apologize, he’ll always see them. He’s far too eager to be told how he was right all along.

  “Now, this next thing is important. While that griffin and his friends were taking turns giving me a kicking, he let slip something. I know who’s in charge of this sect, and at least another two. Enfield.”

  I sat down on the nearest chair I could find. “Enfield? Well that can’t possibly be good.”

  Guilt settled inside of me. I should have gone after Enfield. I should have stopped him there and then. But I didn’t, I was so busy dealing with my own shit that I cast him aside, and now innocent people were dead. That was at least partially on me. “Looks like he’s finally surfaced. It’s been long enough that I thought, sorry, hoped, that the bastard might have died. But this time, once we get the answers we need, I’m going to make sure he can’t hurt anyone else every again.”

  I took a deep breath and a thought hit me. “Wait. Mortimer said that Kelly was getting her orders from someone high up. That’s Enfield. So we find Enfield and we can hopefully find the people who are responsible for all of this. Any ideas where he is?”

  Felix shook his head and winced. “Damn it,” he snapped and then took a deep breath. “No.”

  “We’ll find him.”

  “I know you will. I now need to ask you a favor.”

  “Anything. Well, anything so long as I can keep my clothes on.”

  Felix laughed, which turned into a cough. “Damn it, boy, don’t do that.” Felix reached for a glass of water and took a long drink. “Keep Alan safe.”

  “I think Alan knows how to stay safe.”

  “Alan knew how to run. He ran from everything, even you. When I first met him in London, all those years ago, it was the first time he’d actually chosen to stick ar
ound and help, not because he was paid, or because he had no choice. He’s a different man to the one back then.”

  “I know,” I agreed. “He’s done a lot to change his life. Due in no small part to you and Fiona.”

  “And now I’m going to be dead, and Fiona is hurt. I don’t want Alan to run away from anything. I don’t want him to revert back to type. Be there for him. He likes you, he always has. I think he respects you more than he wants to let on. These last few decades—before he went to The Hole—were special to me. It was like I had a son. I want him to do great things, I know he can. He just needs to believe in himself, and have people who believe in him. Some people in Avalon would be a little too quick to write him off again if he ever stepped out of line.”

  “What am I meant to do with him?”

  “Give him a purpose.”

  “A job? You want me to employ Alan? To do what, exactly?”

  “Not you personally, but you could arrange something. We both know you have contacts in and outside of Avalon. Please do it.”

  “I will,” I promised. I meant it too. Alan had come a long way, and it would be a shame to see him revert back to the thieving little bastard who’d caused trouble wherever he went, leaving others to clean up his mess.

  Felix looked visibly relieved. “When I took you through the Harbinger trials, I was amazed at your tenacity. At the time you didn’t seem to have the most power, you weren’t the smartest, or the fastest, or the strongest, but you did whatever it took to get things done. And now you have a level of power to go alongside it. I heard over the years that you managed to learn necromancy. That true?”

  I nodded.

  “And you let your nightmare out. Don’t deny it, I saw what you did.”

  “Didn’t have a choice.”

  “You’re playing a dangerous game, Nathan. You can’t trust them, they’ll tell you such sweet things, and promise you they’re only doing what’s best. But that magic wants control of you, make no mistake about it. If you let it, it will consume you. Becoming a nightmare is a pretty good way to get yourself killed.”

  I didn’t see a need to bring up the curse marks, or how my nightmare had taken a different name. “I know what I’m doing.”

  “Every sorcerer says that. But as it’s you, I’ll take your word for it.” Felix smiled. “Have you ever considered teaching others to do what you do? Not just the fighting, or being badass, I mean training someone to be another Hellequin.”

  “The world doesn’t need another Hellequin. And I’m not mad keen on the idea of training someone up to kill people. I do enough of that already.”

  “How about defend themselves, their loved ones? You could do that, you could teach people how to be better at who they are. I think you’d be good at it.”

  “I think I would create a monster.”

  “No you wouldn’t, you’re just scared that you’d be unable to separate the defense from the killing. Killing is the end result, but your training goes further than that. Besides, who in our world isn’t a killer?”

  “That’s not a reason to personally add to the total.”

  “Maybe not. But instead of being all high and mighty, ask yourself this: if you could teach someone you care about what you do, what you’re capable of, and it saved their life, and the lives of people they loved, would it be worth it?”

  I opened my mouth to speak, but found no words wanted to come out.

  “Can you fetch Alan for me?” Felix said before I was able to sort through the words in my head. “I want to talk to you both.”

  I went off to find Alan, and discovered him sitting by the pool of water. He was flicking the cool contents across the pool.

  “Felix wants you,” I told him.

  He stopped what he was doing. “Yeah, I guess he’s going to die now.” Alan went back to flicking the water.

  “What is wrong with you?”

  “I’m angry, angry that out of everyone he has to die. I finally found people I give two shits about and they’re all getting hurt or dying. If this is the life you lead when you have friends, then you can fucking well take it back.”

  “It doesn’t work like that, mate,” I said and sat beside him.

  “I had a family once. A long time ago. A village on the border of Scotland. I was only about fifteen and was still unsure exactly what I was. My parents, being as great as they were, pretty much abandoned me to whichever holy man they could find.”

  “I ended up in another village, working for a priest there. I grew up with those people, I finally felt like I belonged somewhere. One day a group of Vikings came to our village. They killed everyone, burned the place to the ground and stole whatever they wanted. I was out at sea when it happened, reveling in my powers. Everyone I cared about died in one afternoon of blood and fire.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Fuck being sorry. It was a long time ago. It took me ten years to track down the people who did it. I destroyed their village, and everyone in it. And I do mean everyone. Right then I pledged to never give a shit about anyone but me. I wasn’t going to go through that again. And for hundreds of years it worked just fine. And now I care about people and look where it gets me.”

  “Don’t be an ass,” I said. “You love people, you lose people. It’s part of life. But when you lose someone you care about, you don’t let go of all that they meant to you. You never truly lose the people who mattered the most in life.”

  Alan glanced up from the pool. “Did you get that line from a Disney film?”

  “Probably a fortune cookie, I forget. The point is, you’re going to lose people who matter, we all do. Felix says you’ve changed, that you’re a better man than you were. Prove him right.”

  Alan stood up. “This whole acting like a grownup thing sucks. And I’m nearly a millennium old.”

  “Enfield is behind all of this.” I’d considered not telling Alan until later, but I wanted him to know what was going to happen.

  “We going to hunt him down?”

  “God, yes.”

  “Good, let’s go see the old man then.”

  We found Felix slumped over in bed. Alan rushed to his side, pushing him back as a ragged breath left Felix’s mouth. “You two took your time,” he said.

  “I don’t want you to die,” Alan said. “There are still things I want to learn. Still things I need you for.”

  “You spent hundreds of years being an asshole,” Felix said with a smile. “Now, a little later than most, you’ve grown up. Good things are worth the wait. I’m proud of you, boy . . . Alan.”

  Alan rubbed his eyes and I felt like leaving them alone.

  “Don’t you fucking go anywhere, you’re next,” Felix said, making me smile.

  “And what do you want me to do?”

  “Take my soul when I’m gone. Use it. And when you find Enfield, kill him. Can you do that?”

  “I don’t know if I can. I can only take the souls of people who died fighting.”

  “What the fuck do you think I’ve been doing?” He raised the rune on his hand toward me. “You painted this on me so I could keep fighting. I’m not lying down and waiting for death.”

  I thought about his words. It was worth a try. “If I can take it, I will, I promise.”

  “And you kill Enfield.”

  “He’s not going to be long for the world once we find him,” I promised.

  Felix reached under the bed and produced a bottle of whiskey. “Grab some glasses from the food cavern. Bring the fox and wolf back here too.”

  I did as asked and was soon standing in front of Felix with Ellie and Remy on one side and Alan still sitting beside him. We each had a glass of whiskey in hand.

  Felix raised his glass. “To friends, to those you love, may you always hold them close. And to your enemies, may you always make them burn.”

  We all raised our glasses and then knocked back the strong liquid.

  Felix began to close his eyes. I reached out with my necromancy to touc
h his soul. He didn’t have long, seconds rather than minutes. “Say your final words,” I told everyone.

  “Good-bye, Felix,” Remy said. “It was a pleasure.”

  “Give the afterlife hell,” Ellie told him.

  I reached over and grabbed his hand, squeezing it slightly. He squeezed it back, the barest amount of power in use. “Be at peace. I’m honored to have known you.”

  Alan stood and lent forward kissing Felix on the forehead. “You’re the closet thing I ever had to a father, and the one man I’d be proud to call my dad.”

  Felix turned slightly toward Alan and a smiled flickered across his face, and then he passed.

  CHAPTER 31

  January 1889. Camelot.

  By the time I’d reached the realm gate on Avalon Island and passed through into the realm of Albion, my anger at what Merlin had done was still burning brightly inside me. When I was only thirteen years old, he’d had Felix take me through the Harbinger trials. Merlin had lied to me, and I wanted answers.

  Merlin’s home was just outside of the city of Camelot, and I took a carriage from the realm gate intending to go all the way to his property. I wasn’t even halfway there when the tightness in my gut got worse and worse with every passing moment.

  When the carriage stopped suddenly, I was at first confused. It was still some distance to Merlin and for a moment I wondered if there’d been an accident up ahead. I put my head out of the carriage window and was met by Elaine.

  “Care for some company?” she asked.

  “Not really,” I told her.

  She pushed me back inside and climbed into the carriage, dismissing her guard, who didn’t appear to be too impressed with the notion of leaving her alone.

  “You can follow, if you must,” she eventually agreed.

  “You want to tell me why you decided to come see me?” I asked.

  “You’re off to see Merlin, yes?” She was concerned, whether it was about what I’d do to Merlin, or what he’d do to me, I didn’t know.

  I wasn’t surprised. Elaine had a knack for knowing things she probably shouldn’t. “How’d you know?”