THE REALM OF Chaos was worse than the Tremble. We were on solid ground, but it felt spongy and every movement made the ground shake as though we were caught in an earthquake. All around, a dark gray mist roiled, boiling through the silhouettes of shadowed trees. The stench of bog sand was near, a putrid, fetid scent that permeated the air. I wanted to cough but that would require a deep breath, and the last thing I wanted was for the scent to settle deep in my lungs. I glanced around. It was impossible to tell if there was anything hiding in the shadows. There could have been monsters only feet from us, but it would be impossible to tell unless they came out of hiding.
Once I realized we weren’t going to die from lack of oxygen, I shook the bags off my arm and struggled to open them to get to the explosives.
“Help me.”
Jason grabbed the bag with the blocks and spilled them out onto the ground. As I used my right hand to set them upright in the tray, he opened the bag with the triggers and lined them up by the blocks.
“We have to hurry. The others will do their best to keep Lyon from getting through the gate, but I’m not going to lay odds they’ll be able to stop him.” I glanced over at Jason. “Tyrell was on his side. How did we not know that?”
“Don’t even worry about it right now. We don’t have time to speculate. Here, hold the blocks while I set the triggers.”
I grabbed up the first block and held it out, wincing as my nailless finger twinged.
Jason picked up one of the triggers. Thin wires fit into a small hole atop the blocks. The triggers would automatically arm the explosives once they were firmly set.
“You do realize that, once set, we have one minute to get back through that gate.” I stared at him. “Move closer to the gate. We have to be within jumping distance.”
The portal shifted at that moment, like the iris on a camera, swirling counter-clockwise. From here, we could see the sparks and crackles of the energy as it whirled in a crazy kaleidoscope, the patterns fracturing and bending as we watched them. The aperture opened again and Lyon jumped through.
He sized up what we were doing and dove toward us. Jason and I rolled out of the way, scattering the blocks as Lyon caught hold of me. He thrust his hands around my neck and started beating my head against the ground, slamming it against the spongy soil.
Fearing he would break my neck more than crack my skull, I tried to push him away but my left hand was still useless. I reached down with my right to where he was straddling me and grabbed his balls, squeezing as hard as I could. He shrieked, rolling off me into a fetal position, and I struggled to my feet, bringing a fresh jolt of pain to my left hand.
Jason was on top of him then and the two rolled, grappling one another.
For a moment I thought about helping, but decided to gather the blocks from where they had scattered. I managed to get them in the tray and then searched for the triggers. I found three, then another three, and finally the last three as the men continued to fight. As long as Jason kept Lyon occupied, Lyon couldn’t use any spells against us. But it also meant that Jason couldn’t help me.
Shaking, I fit the first trigger in the first block, then quickly followed suit with the others. Once all nine were set, we’d have one minute to get out of here and it was my intention to leave Lyon behind. But as I finished the sixth one, Lyon landed a blow to Jason’s stomach and was quickly on his feet, bearing down on me.
I held out my hands, ignoring the pain, and summoned my fire, wondering if it would work while we were in the realm of Chaos. But sure enough, there it was. Glowing, waiting, and I brought it to bear, channeling it as quickly and as hard as I could. The backlash as the flames shot through knocked me off my feet, but the resulting ball of fire that flew toward Lyon was brilliant white, scorching him square in the chest. He let out a scream, then fell back.
I returned to setting the triggers. Three to go.
Jason staggered to his feet and was heading over to help me when Lyon once again managed to stand. He brought up his hands.
“You want to play with the elements? Let’s play,” he shouted as a massive rush of wind and cloud boiled up behind him. I realized he was creating a twister. If he managed the spell, it would undo all of our efforts.
“Jason! Stop him!” I continued to fumble with the last blocks, shaking as I forced my left hand to close around one of them to keep it steady. The pain seared through me, stripping me of any focus save for getting the explosives set.
Jason landed on Lyon again, taking him down to the ground. He pulled out his dagger, but Lyon grabbed hold of his wrist and squeezed so hard that I could hear the crack from where I was kneeling. Jason dropped his blade, backhanding Lyon. The twister vanished.
“You have to hurry, Kae—he’s too strong. I can’t keep him down much longer.” Jason groaned as Lyon did what I had done—drove his fist into Jason’s balls. But he managed to keep the magician on the ground.
Shaking, I held the last trigger. “Get ready to run!”
“Set it and get the hell through the portal, Kae.”
I set the last block and, putting it back in the tray, scrambled to my feet and headed toward the portal. “Jason, move! We have less than sixty seconds!”
Jason looked up at me from where he was straddling Lyon, who was still flailing, trying to get in a punch. “If I let him go, he’ll destroy the blocks. We can’t chance it now that he knows where the gate is! Go, damn it. Go.”
I stared at him. He meant to stay behind. “No, Jason, get the fuck over here!”
“Go! You have to go back. Get your ass through that portal. Tell Elan I love her. I’ll try to find a way home!” Jason was struggling in earnest now. Lyon was starting to throw him off.
I calculated—less than ten seconds remained. If I jumped through now I could make it, but even if he let Lyon go at this point, Jason had no chance. I could disarm the triggers, but I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t let Lyon have free rein to bring the Elder Gods of Chaos through the vortex.
“I’ll find you. I promise,” I shouted at Jason.
“Just go! Go now!” He was losing his grip.
Sobbing, I closed my eyes and jumped for the vortex, leaving behind the man who had saved my life when I was a child.
Chapter 12
I LANDED ON the branch hard, wavering as I started to slip over the side. Hans caught me by the elbow, yanking me back, but for all of his efforts, he couldn’t help me when the tree itself started to rock. The gate in front of us flared, a brilliant blue flash that showered us with sparks as it went into a manic spiral. Then, with a rattle that sounded like the last gasp of a dying man, the gate vanished. Only smooth bark against the tree remained.
Hans let out a soft curse. “Fury—where’s Jason?”
“Lyon—he was fighting Lyon while I set the charges. He told me to go. I tried to make him let go and come back with me. But he said…Lyon would have…” I stopped. My heart was as numb as my hand. I stared helplessly at the tree. “I left him. I left him behind.”
“You did what you had to.”
“I didn’t want to. I was going to disarm the explosives but Lyon would have broken free and he would have—”
“It’s all right, Fury.” Hans gathered me to his chest, holding me tight as I started to sob. “We know how tough Lyon is. He killed Ki.”
I jerked around, looking frantically for the guard. Vis was standing beside Hans, his expression grim.
“Where? What happened?”
“She’s below, with Tyrell. Lyon managed to throw her off the tree. She probably died before she hit the ground—one small mercy,” Hans said. “Lyon nearly took out both Vis and me, too. He’s crafty strong.”
I pressed my lips together, unable to speak. My heart was breaking and all I could think about was that I had let Jason down. A glance over the side sent my stomach into spasms as I caught sight of a zombie holding up an arm. The shreds of sleeve were all too familiar. It was Ki’s. Shivering
, I turned back to the trunk.
“Milady, we should get off the tree. There are zombies trying to climb it, and they might very well succeed.” Vis pointed toward a low branch where a group of zombies were making their way up.
I stared at them, suddenly exhausted. The pain from my broken hand was returning in spades. Defeated, I let the guard lead me back. I couldn’t hold on, so between him and Hans, they managed to help me through the branches. I wished we could just climb up and crawl off the top of the tree, but we were too far from the edges of the pit.
We made our way back the way we had come and finally reached the rope leading to the other side. I stared at it. “I can’t do hand over hand.”
“Let me take you, Fury.” Hans motioned for me to drape my arms over his shoulders from the back, and Vis tied us together. “Just don’t strangle me on the way over.”
“I’ll try to avoid that,” I said, but I felt like anything but smiling.
He grunted the entire way across the rope, but was able to carry me across with him, using his massive arms to pull us up the incline to the edge of the pit. Vis followed suit, and we cut the rope loose so nobody else could get over there.
“Hold on,” I said once our feet were firmly on the other side. I crept to the edge of the pit, staring down. My fire wouldn’t hurt the tree, and there wasn’t anybody down there alive to worry about. I summoned up a ball of flame in my hands, ignoring the pain as I stretched out so that my head and arms were leaning over the edge. I cried out as the fire licked against my fingers, warming the bones as the flame flowed through my body. I willed it stronger, drawing on the deepest part of my core, where I was bound to the element. Then, in one massive rush, I expanded it, driving it through my fingers to pour into the pit. The blaze fell onto the mass of zombies, a liquid rain of fire and sparks, drenching the mass of writhing bodies below. They shouted as the flames caught hold. The walking torches stumbled back, spreading the flames, and soon the entire base of the World Tree was blazing like a bonfire gone mad, raging out of control, feeding on what little fat the zombies had left in their bodies.
I watched for a moment, silently, and then turned to find the others staring at me.
“Fury…” Kendall stopped. “Where’s Tyrell?”
“Tyrell tried to kill me.” That was all I needed to say. She held my gaze for a moment, then nodded. “Ki’s dead. Lyon was there. Tyrell let him know. I don’t know how, but he let him know. Jason is trapped on the other side of the portal, along with Lyon.”
Actually saying the words aloud was as hard as pulling teeth. I just wanted to crawl into a bed somewhere and cry until the tears were gone. Vis tapped me on the shoulder.
“May I speak to you, milady?”
I nodded, following him to one side. “What is it? I’m sorry about Ki, by the way. I liked her.”
“I’m sorry about her too, but she was doing her duty. It would be fitting to award her a medal for bravery posthumously. Milady, I know you’re in pain and in shock, but times like this will happen. If I might make an observation?” He looked pained, as though he really didn’t want to be the one offering me advice.
“Go ahead.”
“You’re the queen-to-be. Even though you’re in shock, and hurt, it’s up to you to take charge now. To claim the victory. For you did what you came to do. Even though your friend sacrificed himself, you have to give others hope. In the future, when there are other disputes, you have to be able to stand on the ashes and raise your hands over your head in a victory salute. You will be the heart of UnderBarrow, and it’s your job to carry us through sorrow.”
He dropped his eyes to the ground, as though waiting for me to smack him for speaking so forthrightly.
I let out a long sigh that was part sob. I didn’t want to be strong, I didn’t want to carry the day forward, to pick up the banner and march on. But Vis was right, and I knew it. Even though I hoped to hell we’d never go through anything like this again, I knew that at some time in the future, we’d face another enemy, another gate, another battle. And if Tam and I didn’t keep up morale, who would?
“You speak wisely, Vis. Thank you for reminding me of who I am. Of what duties I’m taking on.” I shivered, more from exhaustion and pain than anything else. “And please, feel free to speak to me in the future. I’m going to need all the help I can get when I marry Lord Tam.”
“I think you’ll learn quickly, milady. You have the makings of a fine queen. I’m proud to serve under you, and I pledge my life in your protection.” With that, Vis led me back to the others.
I let out a long sigh, then forced myself to smile through my tears.
“Jason’s sacrifice and Ki’s, sacrifice were great prices for us to pay, but I won’t dishonor it by mourning. We lost two good people today, but we managed to close off the portal that the Order of the Black Mist has been seeking for months now. Come what may, they won’t be able to use it to contact the Elder Gods of Chaos. And closing it off in this World Tree, we sealed it off in all the others. We’ve accomplished what we set out to. It’s time to go home.”
“Let me bind up your hand first, milady,” Kendall said. She was crying as she spoke. “I can’t believe Tyrell was one of the enemy.”
“None of us suspected it. Somehow, he kept it from the Dagda, as well. The Order of the Black Mist is a powerful organization. But as communications degrade, they’ll be cut off from their other cells. Maybe they’ll fade with time.” I didn’t know if I really believed that, but for now, I had to. And while Jason was caught on the other side of the portal, so was Lyon. Trapped away from Seattle, away from this world.
Kendall bound up my wounds and we headed back toward the other side of the Sandspit, back to Thor. Back to our home.
WE MADE IT back through the Bogs without incident, though both my hands were hurting like hell. I marched on sheer will alone. I wanted to lie down and sleep, but finally we stumbled out of the briny marshes and there was Thor, waiting. He scanned the company and set his jaw.
“Three missing. Did you complete the mission?”
“We did. The portal to the realm of Chaos is gone. The explosives Heimdall made worked.” I paused, not wanting to go through it all again. “We lost Jason—he’s trapped in the realm of Chaos—and Ki was killed. Tyrell turned out to be our spy.”
Thor let out a great sigh. “I’m sorry, lass. I’m truly sorry. I know Jason was like a brother to you.” He opened the chariot. “Get in. Rest. That hand looks like it needs attention. We’ll be back to Willow Wood forthwith.”
We entered the great chariot, and Thor handed us water bottles and sweet buns, then shut the doors. As the chariot began to roll, I leaned back against the side and closed my eyes. Even with the pain in my hands, I fell asleep, drifting off as the vehicle rocked from side to side.
WE PULLED INTO the village near midnight. I didn’t want to see Elan just yet. I couldn’t face her. Instead, I asked Vis to immediately take me to Tam, and to bring a healer. Tam could heal some of my wounds but he couldn’t set bones, and I needed someone to splint up my fingers.
Tam was waiting for me in his chambers.
I stood for a moment in the door, staring at him.
He searched my face, then opened his arms and I raced over. He wrapped me in his embrace as I buried my face against his chest. He asked no questions, just stroked my hair as we stood there. All the pain from losing Jason and from my wounds drove themselves into my tears and I broke into sobs, crying so hard I could barely breathe.
Tam rocked me, kissing the top of my head, kissing my forehead, just murmuring my name over and over again. Finally, I hiccupped and shaking, stood back, unable to cry another tear. But I felt no joy in knowing that we had succeeded.
“Tell me everything while she binds your wounds.” Tam led me over to the table where the healer waited. I held out my hands and she began to work on them, washing the wounds, setting the bones to heal straight, then binding them in a soft s
ilken wrap that proved to be much more compressive than I thought it would. She cleaned off my other hand and cast a healing spell on the nail bed. Then she motioned for me to undress.
Patrice entered the room—I wasn’t sure who had sent for her, probably Tam—and she carefully helped me out of my clothes. I glanced down to see the multitude of bruises that I had gotten from falling through the trees. My body was a patchwork of black and blue, and my ribs were aching. I had hurt them before, and apparently, I had again.
As the healer silently moved from bruise to bruise, spreading salve on the contusions, I looked up to see Tam staring at me, a worried look on his face. Patrice waited till the healer was done binding me up before helping me into a loose nightshift. Taking my clothes with her, she vanished out the door.
“You’ll have to keep that hand splinted for at least four weeks. No more fighting until it’s fully healed, which I estimate to be another month. Your nail will start growing back soon, so just keep the nail bed clean and covered. I’ll come check on you tomorrow, unless you have any troubles during the night, milady.” The healer gave me a quick curtsey, then packed her things and exited the room, leaving a draft of pain medication on the table.
Once we were alone, I turned to Tam. I wasn’t sure how much he knew. As I slid into a chair by the table, I realized just how utterly exhausted I was.
“Tell me what happened, love.”
“We lost Jason. He’s trapped in the realm of Chaos and I have no clue of how to help him.” I rested my elbows on the table, burying my face in my arms, the smell of the medicine making me queasy.
Tam took the seat opposite. “Tell me everything.”
I poured out everything that had happened, from the trip to finding the tree, to Tyrell’s betrayal, to Lyon’s appearance.
“Jason knew that Lyon could have disarmed the explosives if he got loose. I knew it too. Jason told me to leave. He sacrificed himself to prevent Lyon from accomplishing his plans. I don’t know if the explosion killed him or if he’s alive—I don’t know how to find him. It’s not exactly like when you were lost on the Tremble. I just destroyed the only portal over to Chaos.”
Fury Calling Page 17