by Arthur Slade
Brax, Thord, and the two swans were flying at a great enough height that they wouldn’t be spotted from the towers and shouldn’t set off any wards. I scanned for the next bag, but it was not so well aimed. It smashed into the angled roof about twenty feet from me, slid down and rolled over the edge.
Oh no! I stood still and glanced at the nearest tower. My dragon eye focused. One of the guards was now at this side of the tower, staring in my direction. The guard spat out the window, then turned away.
I remained in that position for several more seconds. No alarms sounded, so I glanced at the other three towers in turn. I then knelt and dug into the bag at my feet, pulling out a black cloak, two daggers, and a one-handed crossbow.
This was Megan’s bag. My own cloak and daggers had fallen over the edge of the roof.
Maestru Alesius will be so angry at me for losing those blades, was my first thought. Then I remembered that he was dead. Well, he would be angry in the afterlife, then.
“Are you looking for these?” someone whispered.
Which made me turn, Megan’s dagger in my hand.
Chapter 24
The Plan Begins
It was Megan. She’d wrapped a black curtain over her server clothes and climbed up behind me.
“They were hanging by a string,” she said, carrying the bag. “Lucky for you, I came along.”
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I decided not to wait for the distraction. No one will notice I’m gone — there are far too many servers. And I was certain you and Thord would muck this up without my help.”
“Muck it up? Me?” I slapped my hand against my chest, feigning offence. I was pleased to see her, and she was correct on one point: there wasn’t much use in her remaining down there. We exchanged bags.
She first took off her mask, then quickly pulled on her assassin cloak and dressed underneath it. I took off my mask, feeling the coolness of the wind directly on my face now. I threw on my clothes — the middle of a palace roof was perhaps the strangest place I’d ever dressed. But soon enough we had our belts tightened and weapons in place. I felt more like myself with the proper cloak and my own face.
“What do we do now?” she asked.
“In a moment or two our diversion will begin,” I said.
“Fine, don’t tell me about your big plan,” she said. “I don’t really care. And when it happens, I will continue not caring. Anyway, they were finished their first course. A musical interlude had begun, with a thousand harps playing ‘The Emperor Has No Pimples’ or some such thing. I used that noise to sneak out.”
“And Corwin and Sargon?”
“Your brother has dutifully stood behind the emperor throughout the first course, glaring at the guests until his eyeballs threatened to fall out. Though he was once called up to converse with Sargon and the king of Woden. Then he went back to his position.”
“Good. Good. If they’re together then they will probably both arrive at the same time.”
“Arrive where?” she asked. “Oh, wait. You’re still holding your surprise over my head. Once again, I’m not going to—”
The world exploded.
Well, a series of explosions ripped through the air. For over the water, in perfect view of the palace, a burning sheet of flame filled the sky. Then, one by one, the fireworks arced skyward. Thudding. Booming. And brightening the city with a thousand tiny suns.
Megan’s eyes were wide, her face slightly slack. “Oh, that’s all,” she said.
“My idea.” I didn’t even try to keep the gloating out of my voice. “Thord and Brax did the lighting.”
“Well, this will drop a plate of horse turds in the emperor’s perfect dinner,” Megan said. She had a way with words. “They planned the fireworks for after the third course. Sargon is going to have several heads mounted for this all starting early.”
“Well, we’d better go watch them ourselves.” The light of the fireworks was revealing us, though I doubted any of the guards were observing the roof now. The whole city would stare eastward. “Now, let’s go! Follow me.”
We jumped across a small courtyard and raced along the next roof, risking being seen from above. A white firework swan winged through the sky and circled the palace, then faded away. A series of stars flew to the heavens and exploded in red and green and bright white patterns.
Even as we ran, in my mind I was following the executioner’s drawings, naming every room we crossed over.
“We’re heading to the balconies,” Megan said. “I see the plan now.”
We reached the edge of the southern face of the palace and I looked down. There were several long balconies below us. And just as we had hoped, they were slowly filling with guests guided by the servers.
“Is that the plan?” Megan asked. “To distract them?”
“Mostly,” I whispered. I pointed at the balcony below me. “That’s the royal balcony.”
“I know that.”
“Yes, well, we hope that the emperor will appear soon.” The crowd below gave out a cry of wonder as a lion appeared in the sky, moving its front legs as though it were swiping at something.
The emperor didn’t step out onto the balcony. I wondered if he had remained in the dining room in a fit of anger. Or maybe he was busy executing the fireworks master.
I took a slender rope from my bag and found a gargoyle to tie it to — an ugly but sturdy demon with thick legs. Megan did the same to another gargoyle.
A firework in the shape of a white bear came charging through the skies, roaring like a god and swiping at the stars. It stood on its hind legs, stopping right above the palace. Every previous firework paled in comparison to this one.
It brought the emperor out onto his balcony. Corwin was on one side and Scyllia on the other, along with two Immortals. My brother was not watching the fireworks. He glanced around, first down then left and right, and then he turned and looked up.
Megan and I pulled back. I waited a few moments before I peeked over again. Corwin, along with the emperor, was watching the sky. The bear continued to roar.
“Now,” I said, then dropped the rope. Megan and I went over the side at exactly the same time.
Chapter 25
Putting an End to It
Rappelling was a skill we’d practised many times and, in all honesty, Megan was better than me. We jumped out and dropped and silently planted our feet against the wall and repeated that pattern — two shades dropping fast. No one looked up. The giant bear was getting closer and closer and lasting so long I wondered if some magic gave it strength.
Megan let go of her rope first and landed at an angle, knocking an Immortal over the balcony. I was aiming for my brother for the second time in my life, but he must have seen a movement, for he used an Immortal to pull himself out of the way. Which meant I hit the Immortal and knocked him over the edge.
There was a sudden blinding flash in my dragon eye, which took me a moment to realize wasn’t in the real world. Was it some sort of magic ward or a message from Brax?
Megan had slipped over to the door and slammed it, jamming a dagger in to hold it shut. That left me to face Corwin, Scyllia, and the emperor on my own. My brother had already drawn his sword and grinned like we’d just started a game. He was my first target. I doubted the emperor would raise a hand.
Which was when Sargon raised a hand.
“Halt!” he said. The power of the word hit me, and my dragon eye went red with pain. I froze with both daggers held out.
It was as if I was caught in amber. And in that second, Scyllia stepped past me and stabbed Megan. My friend fell at my feet, her shoulder bloodied. Her eyes were closed.
Just like I’d seen in the vision so long ago.
My eye flashed red again, and for a moment I saw nothing.
“You come to my place of power,” the emperor said. He kept his voice loud, and I knew it wasn’t just me he was speaking to: all of his enemies and allies were gathered on the balcony nex
t to us. “You attack me in my home. For that you’ll die a slow and horrible death. All my enemies shall fear my wrath.” The crackling of the fireworks punctuated his words. The bear roared closer as it filled the sky.
Scyllia swung the pommel of her sword toward me, fully expecting to knock me out. I parried the blow.
The fact that I could move surprised me. But my dragon’s eye flashed, and I wondered if it was somehow deflecting the emperor’s magic away from me. She swung again with the blade. When I had only one eye, she had revelled in smacking the blind side of my face during combat drills. Many were the bruises she had given me.
I blocked her next blow, pulled a handful of dust from my cloak, and threw it in her eyes. She fell writhing to the ground, scratching and rubbing at her eyes. It would be weeks before she had her vision back.
Corwin stepped up.
I parried his first thrust, catching his sword on the hilt of my ancient dagger. And I spun, plunging my second dagger toward his heart. It was a death blow.
It glanced off his armour.
What sort of armour could deflect a Uriken dagger?
Corwin laughed then made a swing that circled around and down, and I deflected it. My next stab was directly at his stomach and it bounced off.
“Ah, sister, this suit cost me a fortune,” he said. “It was well worth it. Now let’s put an end to this.”
The move he followed up with was the same one he’d used to take out my eye. So familiar because I had relived it so many times. And I had pictured a hundred thousand times how to parry it.
I did so, making a flicking movement with my wrist and deflecting the sword, then I stabbed his hand between the glove and the arm. He dropped his sword.
For the first time I saw puzzlement on his face. As if something impossible had just happened. There was no sense waiting for him to get his wits back. I kicked him hard and with all my force and knocked Corwin over the balcony.
It took me several moments to believe he was gone. I’d beat him. The only bad thing was the fall likely didn’t kill him.
I faced the emperor.
The executioner’s coin was burning a hole in my pocket. Sargon was a man of great power, but he had lived his life protected by others. He likely rarely saw his enemies face to face.
“Impressive,” he said. “You are warded and you have an eye that glows with some unknown magic. I should have pursued you as my right arm instead of your brother. But know this, Carmen: I have been holding back.” Then he shouted, “So my mighty Immortals have failed me, and you have bested my champions! And yet I feel no fear.”
He would talk until my ears fell off. The best time to strike was while he was in mid-speech.
I leapt toward the emperor, daggers out, every moment of training helping me aim that fatal blow. I was an unstoppable force. Revenge made flesh.
He flicked me away.
Chapter 26
The Show
I smashed into the far end of the balcony as if a giant fist had tossed me there. All he had done was flick his fingers at me as if I were nothing more than a flea.
“If you are a good assassin, you’ll know the rumours,” he said so only I could hear. “Every captured wizard died in the White Tower.” I grabbed the balcony and dragged myself to my feet. I know the emperor allowed me to do that. He could have crushed me with another flick, but he wanted this to be a dramatic show for all the watching eyes. “The most powerful of the sorcerers were bound there and kept alive. And every seven days, after I was handed the reins of the Immortals, I’d go into that tower and dine on a wizard’s heart. They are rather tasty. But now I have their magic inside me.”
He made a small gesture with his index finger, and my left arm snapped above my wrist. I clutched at it and bit down to hold back a scream. “I could crack your neck with a word. Shatter your spine with another. But these toads who have come to my banquet deserve something bigger than the fireworks, so that when they go home they will shiver on their wooden thrones. And you have provided me with that! I am so thankful. This will hurt a little at first, then it will hurt a lot. Please scream. It will add to the entertainment.”
He gestured, and I stood straight through no will of my own. He made me lift my right arm, dagger in hand.
“You dare to challenge me in my palace!” he shouted with enough ferocity that spittle flew from his lips. “In my very home. For that every single one of your bones will be crushed. Let my enemies know my wrath.”
“Wh-who,” I said. I tried to spit the words out.
“Who? Who what?” he asked quietly.
“Who writes your boring speeches?” I said. He looked as shocked as I was that a quip like that had come out of my mouth. Maybe Brax was rubbing off on me.
He smiled a very unfriendly smile and then sent out two rays of yellow light from his hands that hit me and …
At first I felt just warmth. But then my skin began to burn, my muscles cramped and writhed, and the blood in my veins felt as if it was boiling. The rays brightened so I had to squint.
I screamed. Only a little at first because I did everything I could to clamp my mouth shut, but the pain became too much despite all my years of training.
“It will feel like this will never end,” he whispered. “And it won’t. They came all this way for food and fireworks. Now they’re getting even more.” Then in a louder voice he said, “Begone, last of the assassins. Fall at my knees and die begging for your life.”
He made a motion with his index finger, and I was slammed to my knees as if a hammer had hit me from above. I screamed again, though I didn’t know if it was in anger or pain.
And then I struggled to rise, got one foot under me, and made myself lift up from my knees.
“Never!” I said.
Sargon raised an eyebrow. He had not expected me to resist. I was equally surprised, but I brought my left leg up and stood.
I pushed toward him step by step, one dagger raised. My other arm was limp at my side. But one dagger would be enough to pierce his heart.
I grinned at the look of shock on his face. He wasn’t shouting to the crowd now. It felt as if my flesh was being peeled away layer by layer and step by step, but I pressed on.
He put a hand to his bear amulet and I was sent back, smashing into the wall of the balcony. “Enough of this!” he hissed. And this time he was moving toward me, the force coming from his hands, the sky full of fireworks.
Air was crushed from my lungs. My heart threatened to stop beating. I pushed up only to fall back. “My one disappointment,” he said, “is they cannot see you well enough. But I want to let you know that I won’t forget you: I’ll have your eye glassed over and wear it as a jewel.”
A roaring filled my ears. This was followed by a boom in the air and another boom I at first thought were more fireworks.
But it became clear they were not. That was the sound of magical wards being broken as a comet came arcing through the night air.
Brax had arrived.
Chapter 27
A Perfect Moment
The pain stopped. Emperor Sargon’s eyes widened as the dragon descended from the heavens like a winged comet. Brax unfurled his wings to slow his flight and let out a massive blast of fire, intending to fry the emperor.
Sargon raised his hand and, as easy as that, deflected the flames so they shot harmlessly into the palace garden below. The heat made sweat trickle down my skin.
Brax swept his wings once, twice, holding his position. He let out another blast only to have it deflected again.
At that same moment two feet landed beside me, and I looked up to see Thord. He grabbed my good arm. “Can you stand?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Get up, then. We are leaving.” He pulled me to my wobbly feet.
“But we are not done,” I said.
“The battle is lost,” he replied, motioning toward the emperor, who was now sending a ray of blistering light toward Brax. “The dragon is only holding him
off until we are away.”
Thord stepped past me, picked up Megan, and lifted her over his shoulder. He limped back to his swan and climbed on, grunting as he did so.
I hadn’t moved.
Brax swiped his talons, trying to hit the emperor, but only managed to knock away a chunk of the balcony.
“This is perfect! Perfect!” the emperor said. He glanced my way and said, “Thank you!” And then he motioned at Brax as though he were an annoying moth. “Begone, foul beast!” he shouted. “Begone from my heavens!” Then the emperor pulled back his arm and threw a ball of glowing light. It blasted right through the underside of Brax’s wing and out the other side.
His wing crumpled and he fell toward the ground.
“Brax!” I shouted.
“We have to go,” Thord said from the back of his swan. “Take Megan’s swan. Now!”
Naga had landed further down the balcony. I made a move toward her and one of those glowing balls burst between us, breaking the wall on the balcony. Naga screeched and headed skyward, following her fellow swan.
Thord was higher now and couldn’t turn around — his swan already struggled under the weight of both riders. Naga followed him.
Leaving me alone. Standing there.
Sargon pulled back his arm and another glowing ball appeared there. “Goodbye, assassin,” he shouted and began to throw his spell.
But at that moment Brax flew up from below. I hopped over the broken balcony wall onto his back, grabbed on, and his massive wings lifted us up higher and higher. We weaved to the left as a blast hit the tower next to us. He wove back and forth, avoiding the fireballs. The tear in his wing was widening with each movement.
But we gained height, and the shouting below us faded to whispers. He aimed between the towers, avoiding the ballistae and crossed the outer wall. The fireworks were on our left. Only then did I look back. There were six swans following us with riders on their backs. My brother was their leader.
Chapter 28