by Jack Porter
Her dying screams had finally attracted attention, and the first person to round the corner was Rosamunde. She saw me standing over the dead woman, drenched in her blood, holding a silver dagger, and she backed away, her face going pale.
“Wait!” I said, reaching out to her.
But she was already leaving, and I heard her calling the guards.
Shit. The haziness that had affected me earlier had now worn off completely, and I felt a bit numb in its place. It was hard to process what had happened. The whore, the snake, the fight. For reasons I couldn’t exactly explain, I tucked the dagger into my belt and bolted out of the alley.
One thing was clear—whether anyone believed me about the serpent or not, I didn’t want to be questioned by the guards right now. Because the more I thought about it, the more I realized how ridiculous the entire encounter would sound.
As I turned the corner, I spotted Rosamunde hurrying down the street with two guards. She saw me and pointed.
So much for having a gift of the second sight.
Feeling betrayed, I turned another corner and ran. There were a few desperate minutes as I tried to blend in with the normal foot traffic, but I was covered in blood, so I was a pretty easy target. And it didn’t help that I didn’t know the city of Crowmore well. One wrong turn could put me at a dead end.
Shouts behind me told me the guards were gaining on me, and I gave up trying to hide and ran flat out for the city gates, which had just come into view.
The guards there saw me, though, and taking their cue from the guards who were chasing me, jumped in my path. Four armored women and two men, standing with spears ready to block my exit. Without a second thought, I cast a spell that was meant to repel them, and in my desperation, it hit them hard.
All six of them went flying backward as if I had thrown a grenade. One woman hit the wall of the gatehouse and slumped down. As the others cursed and tried to get back to their feet, I ran through.
The gatekeepers were closing the portcullis on me, but I used the same spell on it, and to my utter surprise, a hole burst in the iron grating. I squeezed through that, too, and ran for my life as arrows and bolts shot from the towers. With a few well-placed blocking spells, I parried the bolts until I was out of range.
By the time I reached the elven camp, I was out of breath, out of sorts, and feeling shit out of luck. It just hadn’t been my day. Luckily, the elves had seen me coming, and Nya’s guard began rallying toward a point facing the castle, ready to defend against any oncoming attack.
“Jon?” Ilana asked, hurrying to meet me. “What happened? Are you injured?”
“No… yes… my leg but I think it’s okay.” I had just remembered that the snake had bit my ankle, and I looked down at it.
The wound was already sealing over. Apparently, I was still capable of healing quickly.
“Is that a snake bite?” Ilana asked sharply.
I nodded, still trying to catch my breath. “There might be venom. I’m not sure. But I feel fine.”
The elves were shouting now, many of them mounting horses. Ilana tried to lead me to a place to sit down, but I wanted to know what was happening.
A contingent of soldiers were riding out from the castle.
“That was fast,” I muttered.
“Jon, what happened?” Ilana demanded.
Quickly, I recounted the entire ordeal, beginning with meeting the whore on the street. Shame was now running through me, not because she was a whore, but because I had ignored the many warning signs that now seemed so obvious.
Ilana looked at my forehead, where there was still residue from the paste Rosamunde had used on me. “What’s this?”
“Oh, that. The innkeeper patched me up after the fight.”
Ilana cursed and grabbed a skin of water from a nearby saddle. She then began pouring it over me, rubbing the paste off with her fingers while she chanted some spell I’d never heard before.
“What’s the matter?”
“She used a potion on you, Jon, to confuse you, to lower your inhibitions, and to increase your desire.” Ilana scrubbed hard, and I felt dumber with every stroke.
“It was all a trap?” I asked.
“It appears that way.”
But I didn’t feel like we had time for all the scrubbing. “What about the soldiers?”
“Let Nya’s guard deal with them. They’ve ridden out to meet.”
“Is Nya still in the city?”
“I believe so.”
Sarina showed up then, and I was almost sorry that she hadn’t used the opportunity to run away. Ilana quickly filled her in despite my protests. I didn’t feel like letting everyone know what a fool I had been.
But Sarina didn’t seem to see it that way. She stared at me, horrified, and grabbed my leg to look at it. “I will tend this, and we can draw out any poison. You are lucky, Jon, that you seem to be immune to the serpent’s fangs.”
But when she began to clean it, I gritted my teeth. It hurt like hell.
“Do you think the wyrm’s blood is still working inside me?” I asked Ilana.
She nodded. “It’s the only reason you are still alive, I believe.”
“What was that she chanted?”
Ilana smirked. “Well, when you came, your seed was exactly what she needed to complete her transformation, it seems. You are very stupid, Jon.” She pressed a kiss to my cheek and then found a clean cloth with which to dry my face. “But I suppose that’s what makes you human.”
“Not all humans would have been duped by a common wereserpent,” Sarina muttered.
“Perhaps that is why he was poisoned first,” Ilana snapped back.
Sarina scowled. “Jon should have taken someone with him.”
“Who?” Ilana asked. “You? A Hellhound shifter who must always be guarded? Me? I started a brawl this morning just by showing my face in town. Speaking of guarding,” Ilana turned her anger on me, “you just left Sarina this afternoon. She could have run off.”
“But I didn’t!” Sarina stood, her fists clenched at her sides. “I am not a faithless whore!”
Ilana stood, too. “Is that what you think of me?”
“If the cloak fits!”
Ilana snarled.
I stood, getting between them. “Ladies, we do have other things to worry about, not the least of which is the contingent of soldiers now headed this way with Nya’s guard.”
45
When I arrived with Ilana and Sarina in tow, the soldiers were arguing with the elves. And it wasn’t hard to figure out what the disagreement was about.
“There he is,” said Fowlks, the Captain of the Watch, leading the band from the city. She pointed to me with her spear. “Man, you will accompany us into Crowmore, where you will answer for your crimes upon the citizens here.”
“And what are his crimes?” Teniel asked. She had ridden back with the soldiers and was now positioning her horse between me and the city watch. “You cannot take him without a formal charge.”
Fowlks sniffed the air, which was again filled with crows, and scowled. “At least a hundred people and twenty soldiers saw him attack the guards at the gates.”
“I was being chased,” I said.
“And you should have stopped when you were bidden to do so!” Fowlks said angrily.
Teniel’s horse tossed its head. “He had no reason to stop, as he had not done anything,” Teniel said, her voice moving dangerously low. “And we have already discussed this.”
“Not done anything?” the captain asked. “By the goddess, he murdered a woman in cold blood. We have a witness.”
“What?” I asked, feeling angry. “I did no such thing.”
“Your clothes are covered in blood!” she said shrilly. “Teniel, this is unforgivable. We have taken in your ruler on good faith, and her charges, only to have one of them cut down one of our citizens in the street.”
“She turned into a serpent and attacked me,” I said.
If this surprised Te
niel, she didn’t show it on her face.
But Fowlks snorted. “She did no such thing. Kind like that aren’t allowed in Crowmore and haven’t been for a generation. No, you tried to take advantage of her, and when she refused you, you murdered her with a dagger. We have a witness to the whole thing. And even one of my guards saw you tuck a dagger into your belt. Teniel, you will stand aside while we bring this man to justice.”
“The witness is lying,” I said loudly, “and I will not go quietly back into the city.”
A murmur ran through the guards, and one or two put their hands on their swords. If the elves hadn’t been there, they might have attacked me right then. As it was, the guards eyed the elves in their midst, and their numbers.
The sound of galloping hooves drew near, and the watch parted to look. The elves saluted Nya, who rode in on Stormfyre, who was stamping and blowing as if they had sprinted all the way from the city keep. “What’s the meaning of this?” Nya demanded, addressing Fowlks. “How dare you accost my camp with sword and spear while I am away.”
“If Your Grace will permit me,” Fowlks said, “this man is accused of murdering one of our citizens not an hour ago. We have a witness to the whole affair.”
“Liar,” I snarled, finally losing my patience. “Nya, I was attacked by a shifter. A woman turned into a serpent and then came after me.”
“If that was the case,” Fowlks said shrewdly, “then why didn’t anyone else see this serpent?”
I glared at her. “Because we were in an alley.”
“And what were you doing in an alley?”
I hesitated. This was the part I didn’t want to tell, but I couldn’t think of a good enough lie right there on the spot. “Because she drew me back there,” I said finally.
“For what purpose?” Fowlks asked.
“Enough,” Nya said. “I will not permit you to question Jon any further until I’ve had a chance to speak with him. But if he says he was attacked, then he has my utmost and unwavering support. He was attacked. If you question him, it is the same as questioning me.”
“I beg your pardon, Your Grace,” Fowlks said, scowling in turn, “but it is my duty and jurisdiction to get to the bottom of this matter. However, I will defer to the Chief Magistrate, and find out what she has to say before going further. But the man will go with me up to the keep while we await her judgment.”
“The man will do no such thing.” Nya’s voice rang with authority, and her face was stony.
Fowlks’ expression grew dark. “As you wish, Your Grace. I ask that he then remains in camp until the Chief Magistrate is informed. I will leave two of my guards here.”
Nya’s blue eyes flashed with anger. “That is the same as saying you to not trust me, the High Elven Ruler of the Dark Elves of Castle Blackhold.”
“As it pleases you, Your Grace,” Fowlks said, and she turned her horse and made to go, nodding to two of her guards to remain behind.
Before they got to the main road, however, they were met by two men pulling a wagon, and at least a dozen people rode or walked behind.
“Teniel,” Nya said with a sharp voice, “stay here. Under no circumstances is Jon to go into the city.” And then she rode off toward the wagon.
The soldiers had halted, and the men pulling the wagon were waving excitedly.
“That doesn’t look good,” I said.
“No, it doesn’t,” Ilana agreed. “There are at least two people laying down in the wagon. Injured perhaps?”
A moment later, Nya turned and rode her horse hard back to the camp. When she arrived, she made a general announcement. “The sorceress Maera has sacked the neighboring village of Duskwell. She seems to be gathering more forces and headed to Crowmore.”
46
“You and your retinue brought this down on us, and now you want to enter our city?”
The Chief Magistrate was livid, her hands moving wildly as she squared off against Nya. She had met Nya, the Royal Guard, and me outside the city gates, riding a brown horse that was bedecked with banners and the sign of the crow. Behind her was the Captain of the Watch, Fowlks, and twenty armed guards.
“We have done no such thing,” Nya hissed. “And we are willing to help you defend your city, Sidwell.”
The Chief Magistrate, Sidwell, shook her head. “The minute Maera sees you on the walls, she will raze the city to the ground. If you are not here, we at least stand a chance.”
“So you are going to bend the knee?” Nya asked. “Hoping she will spare you? This is what we talked about only this afternoon. Together, we can beat back these slavers who threaten our homes and families.”
“And I told you,” Sidwell said, her face growing red, “that we can’t anger those slavers. If we don’t buy from them, they threaten us. If we don’t offer tribute, they threaten us. Imagine what they will do when they find out we’ve been housing Nya of Blackhold. Because they will find out! But as usual, the elves have no concept of humans sticking out their necks for them. You only want more.”
“You have other elves here. I have seen them,” Nya pointed out. “And Half-elves, as well.”
“Yes, but they know how to stay hidden. They also know better than to bring murderers, succubi, and who knows what else into our midst. Not to mention your recent battle with the Wraith King himself and your attack on Maera.” Sidwell sat up straight and tall. “You said you would find her, and you haven’t. Now, she has gathered more forces and is coming for us. She has been a thorn in our side, but we have always managed to appease her. Until now. And you say it’s not the elves’ fault, Nya. No, I will not stand for this. You and yours will either leave our city walls this instant, or I will personally have you targeted from the battlements. You see my archers positioned ready to do that very thing.”
Indeed, Sidwell had stationed archers all around the walls, and they weren’t looking outward toward the threat from Duskwell, but toward the gates where we sat on our horses.
“You will regret this,” Nya spat. I had never seen her so angry. “I will not forget your shutting us out when we offered help.”
“Nor will I,” Sidwell said. Then she eyed me. “And we won’t forget that you brought a murderer among us. Even if I were to let you inside the walls, we would have him tried and hanged before Maera even got here. And maybe that succubus, too, to spare us the trouble that comes with such rabble.”
Seething with anger, I urged my horse forward, but Nya held out her hand. “You are signing your own death warrant,” she said, “and that of your people, Sidwell. I pray that the goddess has mercy on you all.”
With that, Nya turned her horse, and the rest of us followed her back to camp where Teniel and a recovering Syn were overseeing our planned departure.
“Maera will not have mercy on them,” I said to Nya.
She shook her head. “No. But she may not completely destroy it. Crowmore is an important strategic location, and despite the stubbornness of its leadership, we cannot leave it to the Wraith King’s forces. There is not another safe city in the Slaver’s Bowl for many leagues. And it is now that much more important since Duskwell has been sacked.”
“What are we going to do? Ride out to meet Maera?” Once again, I was ready for a fight, but I recognized that I was in part to blame for us not being able to shelter behind the walls of Crowmore.
“No,” Nya said as we reached camp. Syn joined us then, and Nya included her in the conversation. “From all accounts, Maera has gathered too many for us to meet in open battle. From the behind the walls, we could have provided a worthy defense, but there are too few of us left to fight Maera as we are. And we cannot ride back to Blackhold for reinforcements in time.”
“Where did she get reinforcements?” I asked.
“The only place big enough to house them in the Slavers’ Bowl—Blackwharf.”
“And it’s key to this area, isn’t it?”
“What do you have in mind, Jon?” Syn asked.
“I’m only thinking that if M
aera had to pull enough forces to attack Crowmore, what is left at Blackwharf?”
Syn’s face brightened. “The slave market?”
I smiled. “It could be unprotected. All those captives, waiting to be freed…”
Nya nodded. “Pass the word along. We ride for Blackwharf. And perhaps deliver a blow so devastating to the Wraith King that he may never recover.”
47
As we rode, we discussed our plan. Nya suspected that Maera had drawn forces from Blackwharf to attack Duskwell, a small settlement to the east of Blackwharf. With fewer guards now at Blackwharf, we could attack with stealth, and with everything we had.
From there, we would be crippling the Wraith King’s trade. And we could use it as a base to reclaim Crowmore if needed. If we lost Crowmore, then the trade routes and relationships between men and elves would be further damaged.
Soon, we turned due north, toward the smoky region I had noticed on our ride in.
“I thought Blackwharf was in the plain?” I asked Nya.
“It is,” she said. “But we are taking a shortcut.”
“Is this shortcut like the one through the forest?”
“Let us hope we are not delayed as badly. But we must remain vigilant, for the monsters we are likely to meet do not answer to anyone—elves, men, or Wraith King.”
“Fucking brilliant,” I muttered. When Nya raised an eyebrow, I nodded. “Bring it on.”
Sarina still rode with me since we still did not have extra horses, and we could hardly leave anyone behind at this point. And although the plan had been to get more horses in Crowmore, everything had changed when the Chief Magistrate kicked us out. Anyway, I doubted any horses but elven ones could have kept up with the speeds and burdens we demanded of them. Mine wasn’t the only one carrying two warriors.
Sarina had fallen asleep some time ago. I liked that she trusted me enough to do so, but she was leaning on me heavily, and my left arm was hurting from holding her in the saddle. Still, I let her sleep.
Her hair smelled amazing, like she’d had a chance to wash it while we were camped at Crowmore. It had the delicious and intoxicating smell of sweet apples, although I was sure I’d not seen any apples since arriving in Hell.