His words hit Fen hard. Without realizing it, he began to summon his power. The ground shook slightly. “You know? How…?”
“I had her followed, naturally. I know all about your friends here helping her escape. I thought she would lead me to you, but that didn’t work out. Still, none of that matters. What matters is I could have used her against you, and I didn’t. That must mean something.”
Fen looked at his friends, then back at Lowellin, weighing his words. He knew better than to trust the Shaper. He was certain to turn on Fen and break their alliance as soon as it benefitted him.
But what choice did he have? He knew in his heart he could not defeat Lowellin in battle. Nor could he defeat the Ichthalids. He’d been thinking that he needed aid if he was to have any chance at all against them, and here was Lowellin, as if in answer to his prayers.
It was all too convenient.
“You haven’t said no yet,” Lowellin said. “That’s a good sign. But I don’t want to stand down here all day. I have things to do. I need your answer, boy.”
“I still don’t like it. Every instinct I have says letting them get the key is a bad idea.”
“That’s the word: instinct. That’s why you’re so determined to protect the key, you know. Instinct. It’s not your choice, boy. It was programmed into you.”
“What are you saying?”
“There’s Shaper in you. The masters created the Shapers to protect the key. You’re like a dog who was bred to protect his master without ever having a choice in the matter.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“Yet it’s still true. Don’t feel too bad. I feel the same instinct. But I’ve had more practice ignoring it. What’s your answer?”
“Okay,” Fen said grudgingly. “I’ll do it. I’ll ally with you.”
“Good. You can see reason after all,” Lowellin said. “It’s hard to tell. You humans are so emotional. You hardly ever make a decision that makes sense.”
Fen stuck out his hand to clasp on it.
Lowellin looked at his hand and shook his head. “If you don’t mind, I really don’t like touching you people. You’re very greasy. I think we can cement our alliance without it.”
“What comes next?” Fen asked.
“You pretend to be dead. That means stay low and don’t cause any more problems. No attacking the Ichthalids or trying to burn the ships.”
“Pretend to be dead?”
“I’m going to tell them I killed you. You’re going to hide out until the ships are ready to leave. Then I’ll sneak you onto one of them, and we’ll go with the Ichthalids while they fetch the last piece of the key.”
“If he goes, we go,” Cowley said immediately.
Lowellin gave him a look. “I don’t need any of you. There’s nothing you can do against the Ichthalids.”
“We’re Wolfpack squad,” Noah said. “Where one goes, we all go.”
Lowellin looked at Fen, who said, “He’s right.”
Lowellin threw up his hands. “Okay. I’ll get you all on the ships somehow. Are we done talking about this?”
Fen looked at his squad, wondering if he’d made the right decision, wondering if there even was such a thing as a right decision. They looked confused, angry, defeated. He could relate. He felt the same things. Fen sighed inwardly. Was this what command was? Never sure if the decisions you made were right or wrong? He looked back at Lowellin. “We’re done.”
“Time to go then. Don’t dawdle. It’s going to get dangerous around here soon.”
“What’s happening?” Fen asked, suspicious. “What are you planning on doing?”
“I’m planning on making the news of your death believable.”
Fen wanted to know more, but Cowley was pulling on his arm. “We need to go,” Cowley said. “It’s been a long day.”
Fen followed them back into the tunnel. They’d just made it out of the tunnel when he heard a distant whump! The ground shook and a huge cloud of dust poofed out of the tunnel.
“What was that?” Gage asked.
Fen reached out with his inner senses. “He collapsed the cavern, the whole thing.” He looked upward, his expression grim. “People died in the collapse.”
“Maybe we should keep moving,” Cowley said, looking up at the ceiling. “Something else could come down.”
╬ ╬ ╬
They arrived back at the ruined temple and climbed wearily up to the second floor where they spread out, everyone sitting down wherever they could find a spot. Only Fen remained on his feet. He walked to the front and looked out the window onto the street below. Cowley leaned against the wall and yawned, then winced. Gage touched one of the cuts on his cheek. Strout rubbed a sore spot on his knee.
No one spoke for a bit, then Lukas said, “Is that it? Are we going to pretend that didn’t just happen?”
Fen turned around and looked at him but didn’t reply.
“What do you want?” Cowley touched his swollen eye and winced.
Lukas was too upset to sit. He got to his feet and looked around at all of them. “We just agreed to work with that…whatever he is.”
“Looks like it,” Strout said.
“But…he’s one of the bad guys. He brought the Ichthalids here!” He glared at Fen as if blaming him.
“And now we’re allies,” Gage said. “It feels like a bad dream.”
“I don’t like it either,” Fen said.
“That’s not an answer,” Lukas said. He was agitated. It seemed like he might cry. “You have to do better than that.”
Fen sat down and leaned his head against the wall. “I wish I could. I wish I had an answer. But the truth is, I don’t.”
“In war, alliances shift all the time,” Strout said.
Lukas whirled on him. “Shut up! Just shut up for once! You don’t know as much as you think you do.”
Strout raised an eyebrow but didn’t respond.
“We can’t help him,” Lukas said.
“What choice do we have?” Cowley asked. “We can’t beat him. We can’t beat the Ichthalids. The way I feel right now, I’m not sure we could beat a pack of grandmas with broomsticks.”
“Yeah, maybe take it easy,” Noah said. “We’re all pretty beat up.” He held up his hands as Lukas turned on him with clenched fists. “Take it easy. I don’t feel much like fighting right now.”
“I’m sorry,” Fen said. “I just…I don’t know how to win this fight. We have to have some help from somewhere.”
“We were…tortured,” Lukas said. He started shaking then, trembling violently. Tears ran down his cheeks. “I can’t…I can’t pretend that didn’t happen.”
“Hey,” Cowley said, the first one to his feet. He limped over to Lukas and put his hand on his friend’s shoulder. Lukas shook him off and turned away.
Fen got there a moment later. “It’s okay,” he said.
“No, it’s not,” Lukas wailed. “It’s not okay. Don’t say that it is.”
The rest of them began gathering around Lukas. It was Cowley who threw his arms around Lukas first. Lukas struggled, but Cowley held onto him tightly. Fen grabbed on next, followed by Gage. Noah stood there unsure, then scowled and muttered, “Screw it.” He threw his arms around the rest.
Strout swore and grabbed on too. “I hate every one of you,” he said.
The brothers stood there, looking at each other. Wallice jerked his chin at them. Eben shrugged. They both reached in and put a hand on Lukas’ head.
They stood that way for a while. Then Lukas said in a muffled voice. “That’s enough.” He pushed them away.
As they broke apart, it was clear he wasn’t the only one who had tears running down his face. Noah wiped at his cheeks and scowled furiously at Strout when the tall young man looked at him. “Don’t say nothing,” he growled.
“Better?” Cowley said, ruffling Lukas’ hair.
“No,” Lukas said rubbing his eyes and slumping back down onto the floor. “I don’t know if I ever
will be again.”
Gage sat down and buried his head in his arms. “It was awful. I can’t even…” His words choked off.
Lukas looked at Fen. “It went on and on forever.” He turned his face away.
Fen stared at them. He felt as if he was choking on his guilt. “I’m sorry.” The words were far too small, too useless, but he had nothing else.
Cowley sat back down with a sigh. “What are you sorry for?”
“That I couldn’t save you. That I let you—”
Cowley held up a hand. “Stop right there. Let’s get one thing straight. You didn’t ‘let’ us do anything.”
“He’s right,” Noah said. “This is our fight too.”
“We’re soldiers,” Gage said, but there was a haunted look in his eyes.
“I should have—” Fen began, but again Cowley cut him off.
“Should have what?” For the first time he sounded angry. “Defeated the Ichthalids by yourself? Don’t be stupid.”
“I could have done things differently,” Fen insisted. “I failed to save Barik. I failed to stop the sorcerers. I failed to protect you all.”
“Go to hell,” Strout growled. “I’m a grown man. I don’t need you to protect me.”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Fen protested.
“Yes, you did,” Strout said. “You always do that, act like you’re our mother or something. Guess what? All our mothers are dead, and we don’t need new ones. Knock it off, or so help me I’m going to slug you.”
“What he said,” Cowley said. “We’re all in this together.” He looked over at Lukas, who still had his head down. His lips drew in a thin line. “We’re not going to lose. We’re going to win this fight.”
Fen ran his hand through his hair. “I hope you’re right. I just…I have all this power, but it feels like I still can’t do anything with it.”
“Are you crazy?” Noah said. “I saw you do some pretty awesome things back there. I don’t know how you call that nothing.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Not sure I do. Whatever. You’re an officer. You don’t have to make sense I guess.”
“I don’t think I am an officer anymore,” Fen said. “I don’t think any of us are anything.”
“We’re still Wolfpack,” Noah said. “They can’t take that away from us.”
Lukas raised his head. “No, they can’t.” He swallowed and wiped his cheeks with his sleeve. He looked at the others. “You guys are the only family I have. I just want you to know that I’d do anything, give up my life even, for any of you.”
“Me too,” Gage said.
“If you idiots start hugging again, I’m leaving,” Strout said. “Enough is enough.”
“Know this,” Wallice said suddenly. “Eben and I will always fight for you. We will always protect your back.” Eben bared his teeth. The ferocity in the younger brother was chilling.
Silence followed his words. Then Noah said, “Now I heard everything.” He cracked his knuckles and winced. Looking around the room, he said, “You got anything to drink around here, Fen? I could use something to take the edge off.”
“Sure,” Fen said, waving his hands at an imaginary table. “I have a fine roast goose too, and all the apple tarts you can eat. Help yourself.”
For some reason that struck Cowley as funny, and he started to laugh, only a few chuckles at first, then becoming a full belly laugh. The others looked at him like he was crazy, but gradually smiles appeared and first Gage, then Noah and Fen and finally even Lukas started to laugh. Strout shook his head. The brothers smiled.
“Shouldn’t we eat the ham first?” Noah said between gales of laughter. “We don’t want it to go bad.”
The laughter bordered on maniacal, and Fen sensed there was something going on here besides laughter, but right then he didn’t care. It felt good to let it out. He needed something good to hang onto.
Chapter 23
Lowellin emerged from underground in an alley a block or so from the destruction he’d just caused. He did so with no more difficulty than a swimmer emerging from water. The ground showed no sign of his passage. He stood and wiped his hands on his trousers.
Watching him from a few paces away was a man lying against a pile of garbage. His clothes were rags, his beard and hair wild, his eyes bloodshot. In one hand was a clay jug. The man stared from Lowellin, to the spot where he’d emerged, then back at Lowellin. He looked at the jug in his hand. Shaking his head, he upended the jug and poured out the rest of its contents.
A substantial crowd had already gathered by the time Lowellin left the alley. They were standing around the huge sinkhole that had swallowed most of a city block. In the bottom of the sinkhole were several buildings, or what had once been buildings. They were little more than broken bricks, shattered timbers and various debris. Perched precariously around the rim of the sinkhole were pieces of buildings, some with no more than a single wall remaining. One of them trembled and tumbled into the sinkhole as well.
From the depths of the sinkhole came a few cries. Here and there could be seen movement as survivors struggled to free themselves.
Lowellin barely glanced into the sinkhole as he skirted it and headed for the castle, which was only a couple of blocks away. The guards at the gates looked at him in surprise, then went to their knees, heads bowed.
“My apologies, sire,” the captain said. “I did not realize you’d left the castle.”
Lowellin ignored him and strode toward the palace. He found the Ichthalids in the throne room. S’nash was seated on the throne—his throne—Thresh and Gnath standing around him. The two sorcerers were kneeling nearby, their heads bowed.
“I did it,” Lowellin said, striding up to the dais. “I took care of the troublemaker. As I said I would.”
S’nash spared him only the briefest glance. “Were you seeking a reward?” he growled.
“I thought you’d be happy to know he is dead.”
“I’m happy to see that there are some tasks which you can handle.” S’nash turned back to Thresh.
“I did not see you having any luck finding him,” Lowellin said.
S’nash waved off his words. “He was no more than an annoying insect,” he said. “He was never worth serious effort. Besides, that is what we have you for, to take care of the nuisances so we can focus on the larger problems.”
Lowellin licked his lips while he considered what he would say next. S’nash had turned back to Thresh. Clearly, he’d been dismissed.
“I want those ships finished. I grow tired of this place. Feed the slaves on Her Majesty’s nectar,” S’nash said to Thresh. “That will give them the strength to work harder, faster, without rest.”
“These humans are weak. They will not live long once I do that,” Thresh said. “Less than a day, I think. And we do not have many slaves left.”
“It is no matter,” S’nash said. “If you run out of slaves, take what you need from the city’s population.”
“Hold on there,” Lowellin interjected. “If you do whatever it is that you’re planning on doing, the people will rebel.”
S’nash gave him a look that said he was surprised to still see him standing there. “That is of no consequence to me. Surely you can handle them if they do. After all, what sort of king cannot rule his own subjects?” He leaned forward, a dark smile on his savage face. “How will you rule a world if you cannot rule one city?”
Lowellin seethed inwardly, but he took care to keep it hidden. “It was only a reminder that there is no need to cause unnecessary problems—”
“Enough. I have no need of you now. Leave.” He looked down at the Ankharan sorcerers. “You leave as well. We have matters to discuss.”
Lowellin stood there a moment longer, but S’nash ignored him. Abruptly, he turned on his heel and stalked from the throne room. From the corner of his eye he could see the smirks on the faces of the sorcerers, further inflaming him. Once they were out of the throne room, and the doors
had closed behind them, he turned on them.
“What is it you find so funny?” he hissed.
“To see you humbled, treated as you have treated us,” Maphothet said, amusement in his deep-set eyes.
“They’re gods to you, aren’t they?” Lowellin sneered at them. “For all your talk to the Fist about the uselessness and futility of gods, they are gods to you.”
“Of course, they are,” Maphothet said.
“We only told the Fist what he wanted to hear,” the other chimed in. “He would have resisted the truth. It was a failing of his.”
“And what is it you imagine your gods will reward you with once they are finished using you?”
“That is for them to decide,” Maphothet said calmly.
“Do you think they will hand over this world to you instead of me? Is that where your sudden humor comes from?” Lowellin was drawing in Stone power as he spoke, looming larger and larger until he fairly towered over them. The two guards on duty outside the doors shrank away and looked to be close to fleeing.
“This I do not know,” Maphothet said. “But I will be happy with whatever reward they choose to bestow.”
“Maybe you think they will take you with them when they go. Is that it?”
“Perhaps. But I believe that they have other rewards in mind for their loyal servants.”
“It would be a shame if you did not survive long enough to collect those rewards.” He advanced on them. Power shimmered around him.
“You cannot threaten us,” Maphothet said. “You know what you risk if you anger them.”
“And you should know what you risk in angering me. I could crush the two of you with no more than a thought.” He brought one hand up before Maphothet’s face and pinched his thumb and forefinger together.
Maphothet was unmoved. “Are you done yet?”
“Not at all. I’m only getting started,” Lowellin said. He walked away, vowing to himself that even if his plans went wrong, and he failed, he would make sure they died first. They would know at the end that he was not one to be made an enemy of.
He went to his quarters. These were not the royal quarters. They were small and cramped and out of the way, and they suited him. Lowellin preferred to work from the shadows.
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