Vega smiled. Oh, they will give them more than just an edge. She was counting on them to give her the cover she would need to escape with the Fragment. “Shall we proceed?”
Lugus swept an arm out in an old world gesture inviting Vega to go first. “And the mortals claim chivalry is dead.” Stepping forward, Vega closed her eyes, feeling for any source of power. Her eyes flew open with her discovery. “Well, well, it seems those reinforcements are closer than we thought, Lugus.” And one in particular had her full attention. Mikel had been holding back information from her. No matter, it made the game more interesting. Signaling her ground demons, she relaxed her body, “Show time.”
*****
Someone was lurking beyond the trees. Finn began moving backwards, forcing Ali to move closer to thicker coverage. He would be lying if he said he wasn't looking forward to the battle. The light touch of Ali’s hand on his shoulder broke his focus. Though she fought it, he felt her anxiety. He turned to her. “Envision my house, and concentrate on it. Think of yourself there.” He prayed to the goddess that she understood.
Ali knew what Finn was telling her, if she could pop into the forest, she should be able to pop back out. But she wasn’t so confident of her trick to take the chance. “What about you?” It was the same scenario of when Finn faced Lugus outside of her apartment. And just like then, she didn't relish the thought of leaving him behind—especially since things between them have changed.
“Ali.” He said, this time there was an edge in his voice. “I am a warrior.” It sliced him to see the hurt in her eyes, but he couldn't allow it to sway his decision. He cupped the side of her face with his free hand and gentled his tone. “I am not so easily harmed, lass.”
But you have no magick! She wanted to shout it at him. She saw the determination in his eyes. “Fine, I’ll go. But if I feel that you need me, I'm coming back.”
Through the air came a cold, cultured voice, dripping with scorn. “How positively revolting.”
Finn spun around, his sword ready to strike. When he saw who had spoken, his whole being froze for an instant. It had been years since he had seen that face, heard that voice, a voice that could bring about great turmoil. It had lost most of its potency—for he was still able to stand, but the danger was still there. Finn’s hand tightened on his sword. There was no way Ali would be able to escape now.
Vega took immense pleasure at Finn’s reaction, “My, my, my.” Her voice purred. She took a few steps forward, arching a brow when Finn placed himself in front of the mortal. “Are we interrupting?” She could hardly contain her delight. Oh, how she loved the attention! A sound behind her reminded her that she wasn't the star of this show. She made a pout, she hated sharing the spotlight. However, one did what one must. “I can see that I’ve managed to shock you warrior. Just a side benefit, I assure you. “Lugus, I believe Finn is waiting for you.”
Lugus stepped out, flanked on either side by two humongous men—at least, Ali thought they were men. Their shape was distorted; their faces were masks of bulging eyes, holes where the nose should be and gaping mouths that showed rows of stained, pointed teeth. She covered her mouth to stop the scream that wanted out. They were in serious trouble.
It’ll be alright Ali.
Cian’s voice was calm. She however was anything but. Oh God. She felt like throwing up. Cian chuckled and she thought he had lost his senses. This is funny to you? I’m scared out of my gourd.
Move back.
The desire to cry was overpowering, but she didn't. Instead, she did as Cian had ordered. She also prepared herself. She may not be a warrior, but running wasn’t an option. She just had to trust in whatever it was she had inside of her. She had been able to help Finn once before, hopefully, she would be able to do so again.
Taking a step sideways so that she could clearly see what they were up against she focused on the woman. She tried not to gawk, but it was impossible. She was strangely—beautiful, with a face like sculpted ice. Her outfit was head to toe black, and her hair stood out against the dark backdrop like a gleaming corona of white light. And as unique as the hair was, it was her eyes that had her transfixed. With the exception of the pupil, there was no color. When her gaze swung to her, Ali felt the punch of power. Then the woman spoke directly to her; her voice was an assault her ears, Ali resisted covering them, she didn’t want to show weakness.
“Mortals. What was Agrona thinking—placing such magick within weak vessels?”
As insults went, the woman’s wasn't the worst Ali had ever heard. Finding her voice, she asked: “I'm sorry, who are you?” She was happy that her voice hadn't cracked. She felt Finn’s displeasure but ignored it.
Vega hummed, this mortal was different. It went beyond what was inside of her. “Who I am, doesn't concern you.” Tuning to Lugus, Vega returned his earlier favor by stepping aside. “I believe you're up.”
Finn didn’t wait for him; he wanted to stop his attack before he could get to Ali. Rushing forward, he met Lugus’ sword, stopping the older warrior’s forward progression. On either side of him, he felt the surge of power as Cian and Tristan took the two giant men that had stood with Lugus. That left Drake to protect Ali. The forest exploded into pandemonium.
Clapping her hands together in glee, Vega watched the battle. It was impressive. Lugus was skilled, of that she had had no doubt, but Finn? What she had heard of the warrior, paled to what she was now witnessing. Time to make her move; she beckoned to the rest of her ground demons. They slipped out from behind the trees. Stepping out of their path, she gave the order. “Get the mortal.” In unison, the pale green creatures headed towards Ali.
Seeing them, Ali looked around for a weapon. Being in the forest, her choices were of the branch variety. Choosing one that was as thick as her arm, she lifted it as she would a bat. She didn't know what these things were, but she was going to hit them as hard as she could. The sound of metal and flashes of sparks, made it hard to remain focused. One of the things decided to smile at her, showing off its rows of rotten teeth. Ali made it her first target. Swinging as hard as she could, she took it down. But she didn't get a chance to celebrate; it got back up, cracked its jaw a few times and smiled again. Wonderful.
Finn felt the shock that went through Ali when she had hit the creature. Shouting his outrage, he pressed down on Lugus, forcing the other warrior back several steps. He needed to put more distance between him and Ali. Where the hell was Drake?
Far from winded, Lugus taunted, “You cannot defeat me and reach the Fragment—you have lost.”
His mind roared in denial. “It is you that has lost, Lugus. You have forgotten the ways of our people.”
Lugus advanced, at the same time; he questioned Finn, his fury spewing the worlds like venom. “And where were our people when I needed them?” He carved the air with his blade, his target, the midsection of the warrior before him.
The blade sliced low, forcing Finn to jump back else be severed in two. Where their first meeting had been one of pretense, rage had powered the move. Lugus was after blood.
“I will destroy you, Finn O'Shea, and then I will do the same to the others.” Lugus snarled. “You were there. You watched as my boy died, and you did nothing. My son died because of your leader.” Lugus’ voice was distorted with his rage, he lunged again, determined to extract the payment he had been waiting for. “I cannot get to her, but you, I can get to you. And when I have watched your life seep out of your body and those of your comrades, I will have the Fragment.”
The malice in the words gave Finn pause, unwittingly providing his opponent an opening for a full on assault.
Lugus charged, using the warrior’s stupor to his advantage.
Finn felt the heat of the blade as it tore into his skin. The fire raced from his shoulder and across his chest. He didn’t have to see it to know the cut was deep. Locking his jaw against the pain, he regained his balance.
Lugus threw back his head and laughed. “How does it feel, Finn, the burn o
f my blade ripping through your flesh?” The taunts continued. “The ground will be stained with your blood.”
There was no time to heal his wound, the only thing he could do was block out the pain. He moved, one foot crossing over the other, keeping the older warrior in his sights. He couldn’t let him get to Ali; he tightened his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Lugus let out a roar and ploughed towards him. Setting his feet, Finn prepared to absorb the impact. Physically, Lugus was no match for him. However, with the combination of strength and magick, Lugus had the upper hand. When the blow hit his blade, the force sent Finn to a knee, and though his arms shook from the strain, he held Lugus at bay. Reaching down for the last of his energy, he was able to throw his opponent back far enough to regain his stance. His wound seeped blood, and he was afraid if he didn’t tend to it soon, he would be in no shape to protect Ali.
Lugus could smell victory. At last, he would have his revenge. He stalked the warrior, taking great pleasure at seeing the blood flow. It would only take one blast of magick to end it, but that was too easy. He wanted the warrior to suffer; he wanted them all to suffer. “You’re weak,” the words were spat out. “The mighty Finn O’Shea, brought down with one blow. You bring disgrace to your family name.”
For the first time since he picked up his blade, Finn doubted his ability. Lugus’ accusation had caught him off guard, as did his partnership with the demon. His vision blurred, and the fingers of his sword hand were becoming numb. Lugus moved in closer. Through the haze of pain, Finn could see the twisted smile on his face; saw his blood drip from the tip of his sword.
His surroundings became cloudy and unfocused. Just when he thought he’d fall, that Ali would be taken from him, Finn felt a gathering. At first, he fought it, not wanting to take the time to decipher it. He could not take his focus off his enemy. He may very well be defeated, but he would fight until his last breath to make sure Ali was safe. He locked his muscles, demanded that they obey him. He raised his blade, prepared to drive through Lugus’ body.
Ali’s voice reached him then. Telling him to believe, that what he thought was lost, wasn’t. The gathering became stronger, and unrelenting. She continued to whisper to him. I’m here Finn—hurry, I need you. Then, she screamed. Hearing it filled him with rage. He no longer cared that he was mortally wounded, he let go. He allowed the gathering to take over.
The bellow that tore from the depths of his soul shook the trees. Black clouds ate up the remaining rays of light. Thunder rolled just as streaks of lightning raced toward the ground. His body filled with white hot light. He felt every fiber of his being, open up to accept it. It raced through his veins like a wild fire. His organs drank it up, expanding with new power. The wound Lugus had inflicted began to heal. This was his birthright, handed down from his parents. Finn welcomed it, rejoiced in it. Echoes of his father sounded in his ears, the love of his mother and sister poured into him, adding to the power of his magick. Rising his head, and pointing his sword, Finn laid down the challenge. “The board is now even—do you wish to pit magick against magick?”
Disbelief had Lugus staggering backwards. This shouldn't be. Finn had turned his back on the ways of his family—he had renounced his powers. Desperation had him forgetting, made him negligent—he rushed forward with an anguished cry, his sword raised above his head. In front of him, he no longer saw Agrona’s warrior. He saw the battered body of his son—his little boy.
Drenched with his power, Finn discarded his blade and thrust his hands forward. The force of the sonic push sent his enemy flying backwards. The elder warrior tumbled feet over head until he landed with a crash. The force of the hit should’ve been satisfactory, but Finn was not finished, he sent another wave, this one pinned the other man to the ground, preventing any movement.
Maintaining his hold on Lugus with one extended hand, obvious to the curses that were flung at him, Finn used the other to weave an enchantment in the air. From the ground, roots erupted and wound around the fallen man. They tightened, forcing screams of pain from him. Above them, the thunder continued to roll.
Cian, chest heaving, arms shaking, smiled. His cousin had found himself again. He let out a battle cry. The sound was chilling. Drake, having appeared in the thick of the battle, with his lethal short blades met Tristan’s satisfied gaze from across the clearing. “It’s about damn time.”
Tristan nodded. “This evens things immensely. We have to get to Ali.”
Drake smirked. “I love crashing a party.”
Ali's arms were shaking, her back ached from the weight of holding onto the branch, and her heart threatened to give out at any moment. The things she’d been smacking like piñatas didn't seem to be affected by the dozen or so blows she’d given them. They just kept coming. She knew that the woman was controlling them somehow, and she had a sick sense of humor. A few times, she had been vulnerable and they could've easily grabbed her, but they didn't. They backed off and gave her a chance to regroup. It was a twisted game to them. Blowing a lock of hair out of her face, Ali raised the branch again. She didn't know how much longer she would be able to do this dance. She had tried to send a message to Finn, but didn’t know if it reached him or not.
“Tired yet, mortal? My little friends here can do this all night.” Vega leaned casually against a tree inspecting her nails. She had seen Finn’s transformation and though normally she would get while the getting was good, the matter of the Fragment was too important to leave. She pushed off the tree. “As much as your desperate grapple for survival amuses me, it’s time to go.”
Ali backed up. Her chest hurt with every breath, her arms felt like rubber and she was sweating like she’d been in a sauna. The woman was walking towards her, and she had nowhere to go. Everything was all blurred together: sounds, smells, and people. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't even describe what she was feeling—it went beyond desperation. Day was night and night was day—everything was disjointed. The creatures now stood still. Weak, Ali dropped her arms. She saw the woman’s smile grow. Then, it slipped away, replaced by a look of rage. The cause of such a switch came strutting towards them, with twin blade rotating at his sides.
“Sorry I’m late, babe, but traffic was a bitch.”
Drake’s voice conjured up a weepy laugh. Ali released the branch a stumbled back until she bumped into a tree. Tristan came into view then, but his attention was on the woman. “Vega—it has been a long time.”
Furious that her window had been slammed shut, Vega turned on her charm. “Tristan of Bala—my projected time of your arrival was—off, it seems.” Her eyes flickered to where Drake was standing, his blades ready to mow down her demon puppets. “And you've brought the Dragon, how quaint.”
It had been centuries since he had last heard this voice. Tristan was having a hard time not letting affect him. Vega had brought death and turmoil to his people, his own family had fallen victim to her wickedness. “Mikel must be desperate if he went searching for the likes of you, demon.”
Vega clicked her tongue. “You weaken me with your flowery words, Tristan.” Survival—her, survival, had her backing away. Let Lugus and her demons deal with the warriors. Losing the Fragment was a blow she hadn't been prepared to take. However, she wasn't willing to put her life on the line. There will be other opportunities. “By the way, have you met my little pets? They're really quite extraordinary.” With a wave of her hand, the ground opened up and more green tinged creatures began crawling out. “Enjoy.” A swirling mist rose from the ground, taking the chaotic demon with it.
Ali watched in horror as more of those—things, clawed up through the gorge Vega had created. “Um, guys? What are we going to do about these things?”
Drake swung his swords, taking off the limbs of one of the strange looking creatures. But instead of stopping it, it continued to attack. Cursing, he swung again, this time taking out its legs. Another came at him from behind, whirling around, he skewered it with a blade, then using a foot, he shoved it
backwards into yet another. They were like damn parasites. Again and again he cut them down. But they still kept coming, nothing seemed to deter them. He shouted at Tristan, “What the hell are these things?”
Blasting three with a mental wave, Tristan answered, “Demons.”
“Fucking great.” Drake watched as one crawled towards him. It was missing an arm and had a gash that nearly had its innards spilling out. Grumbling his frustrations, he took a blade and severed its head. It tuned to black ash. “Now we’re talking. Tristan, take their heads.”
With their secret discovered, the demons began to attack with earnest. They swarmed the warriors, slashing out with their claw like hands. One by one, the demons were relieved of their heads. But the sheer number of them had forced Tristan and Drake back until they were shoulder to shoulder, Ali behind them. The ground was soaked with the spilled blood of those who had lost limbs; the air filled with the screeches as others were turned into ash. Still they came.
Ali squeezed her eyes shut. In her mind, she screamed for Finn. The wind howled, rising until it bent the trees, and kicked up dirt and debris. She watched in stunned horror as the demons froze—as if time itself had stopped. Then, there was a great rush of air and a muffled boom. The demons began sliding backwards, they fought, but it was no use. It was though there was a giant vacuum and it was slowly pulling the danger away from her and the others. She didn't know how such a feat was possible. Deep inside, she knew that Finn was the one responsible.
Tristan shouted to her over the wind. “Ali, get ready, Finn will come straight for you.” As the wind rose, he and Drake crouched lower, their weapons at the ready.
The ground beneath her feet shifted and rolled. Her arms shot out for balance. The demons struggled against the pull. Their outraged screams rang in her ears. She covered them, but it did little to block out the sound. Then, another sound joined it. At first, she couldn't make out what it was—it came again, a little clearer—her name. She dropped her hands, Tristan and Drake each took a step to the side, leaving her open. She wanted to shout at them, but her attention was on the streak of light heading straight for her. Before she could utter a sound, she was being lifted. Her mind may not understand what the hell was going on, but her heart did. Finn’s scent assaulted her and with a sigh, Ali wrapped her arms around him and held tight.
The Compass Page 17