by A. E. Rayne
The terror was neverending. The snarling, growling, howling coming closer and closer.
Nicolene and Bayla had their hands over Kai’s and Eron’s ears as they sat on the only bed that hadn’t been shoved against the door. Ulf had Halla on his knee. She curled towards him, hiding her face in his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. He glanced at Valder and Lucina who were older, but just as terrified as their little sister.
Ulf was terrified too but trying not to show it, though he was sure his voice was shaking as much as his body. ‘It won’t be long now,’ he soothed. ‘Not long now. They will stop those dogs, don’t worry. Edela has a book. A magical book. It will have an answer, won’t it? A way to send those creatures back to where they came from. Don’t worry, now.’ And he swallowed, looking at Berard who stood behind the barricades, listening to the Andalans getting slaughtered.
Hoping that Karsten would be alright.
More and more of the barsk were jumping over the walls. The archers were firing arrows from the ramparts, but there were too many of them. They were as black as night, hard to see. Fast and powerful. Untroubled by the flames.
Jael spun, horrified by how many were inside the fort. ‘Catapult crews!’ she yelled. They needed to stop them in the valley. ‘Catapult crews! Launch the sea-fire! Karsten!’ He ran up to her, Rork with him. ‘Get your men onto the catapults. Fire over the wall! Into the valley! We have to stop them there!’
‘Jael!’ Rork cried.
‘Aarrghh!’ Jael yelped as a barsk jumped up, clamping its fangs around her left arm. The leather protecting her wrist was strong, but not going to stop those sharp teeth for long. She jabbed Toothpick through the dog’s black belly, listening to it yelp as it released its jaw, dropping to the ground, quickly jumping at her again.
Jael swung Toothpick back, ready to finish him off but Karsten was there, taking off the dog’s head. Panting, Jael nodded at him, spinning quickly, listening to the cries of her men as the barsk ripped them to pieces. ‘Hurry! Get to those catapults! Now!’
And then a raven’s cry.
Over all the growling, barking, screaming panic, Jael heard the raven’s warning. And she turned around to see Fyr sitting atop a cart.
Everything stopped.
The noise was gone, and Jael was left with one clear image.
The Book of Aurea.
‘No!’
Biddy ran in front of Edela, the puppies barking around her feet.
‘Give it to me, and I’ll be on my way,’ Rollo said calmly. Draguta was going to pay him handsomely to bring back that book. The woman and the baby too. He wasn’t looking to kill anyone. Not an old woman or a blind girl, but he needed that book.
He could feel Draguta urging him on.
She wouldn’t let anything get in his way, and nor could he.
Rollo edged forward, his hands out in front of him, his sword in its scabbard. He didn’t need it. Not to defeat two women and a girl. ‘I don’t want to hurt you, but I will have that book.’ And he pushed Biddy away, knocking her over, kicking out at the puppies, his heavy boot smacking into Ido who fell away, yelping. Vella was at the man, yapping angrily, teeth bared.
‘Ido!’ Biddy scrambled back to her knees. She couldn’t help Ido now as she threw her arms around the leg of the man, trying to stop him from touching Edela.
Who was holding the book.
‘No!’ she screamed.
47
Jael heard Biddy’s screams as she ran down the alley towards Edela’s cottage, but they were in her head, ringing like warning bells as her boots slammed down onto the earth, panic rising in her chest.
She sheathed Toothpick, trying to run faster, listening to the urgent whinnying of horses in the distance, thinking about Tig.
Turning the corner, her eyes were up, scanning the road, and there he was.
That giant man with the shining head.
Bigger than Tarak, and heading down Edela’s path towards her broken gate.
Jael didn’t want to imagine what that meant about the people inside the cottage. She hauled out Toothpick and drew in a breath. ‘Who are you?’ she yelled. ‘Who sent you?’
‘Jael!’ Biddy cried from the doorstep. ‘He’s got the book!’
Jael let out a sigh of relief, but she didn’t turn to Biddy or Eydis who she could hear sobbing beside her.
‘You’re going to have to get past me,’ Jael panted, well aware that compared to the hulking beast before her she didn’t appear very threatening. Blood was dripping from a bite on her leg, a bite on her wrist. She couldn’t even catch her breath after running.
Ranuf’s voice was calm in her ears, and she welcomed it for the first time in days. ‘Use your head, Jael. He’s big. You know how to play this game. Finish him quickly. Edela needs the book.’
Eydis reached for Biddy’s hand. ‘What’s happening? Biddy? Tell me!’
Biddy’s eyes were on the dark road, squinting. ‘Jael is here, but she can’t defeat that man. She’s not herself. You go,’ she whispered, bending down to Eydis. ‘Go back inside and stay with Edela. Find poor Ido. I’m going for help.’
Eydis squeezed Biddy’s shaking hand, then let go, hurrying inside.
Draguta felt Eadmund tense beside her.
‘Well, now, isn’t this interesting,’ she mused. ‘But we don’t want Rollo to have all the fun, do we? Not when I have plans for you.’
Eadmund’s body clenched. He’d fought Rollo, and he’d fought Jael, and surely Jael would know that she couldn’t beat Rollo. Not the way she looked.
He’d never seen her like that. So pale. Teeth gritted. Panting.
Yet, Draguta needed that book, and he didn’t know what to think.
Jael needed to step aside.
Eadmund wanted to call out to her. Let him go!
She just had to step aside and let Rollo go.
‘I don’t mind if you hurt her,’ Draguta purred. ‘She deserves that for how much trouble she’s caused. But leave her alive, Rollo dear.’ She smiled, listening to the growls of the barsk and the terror of the Andalans and the horrific wailing of Sigmund Skalleson, but there was one noise Draguta couldn’t make out.
In all the carnage and chaos, there was one noise Draguta couldn’t make out at all.
Morana’s feet wouldn’t move. She was so stiff and weak that she couldn’t lift them, so her boots scuffed along the dirt road after Else, almost dragging behind her like a thick rope.
It was the only sound they could hear as they hurried towards Fool’s Cove.
Else had tucked Morana’s hair into her cloak, hoping no one would recognise her, but once they were out of the kitchen, they hadn’t seen a soul.
And now Dragmall was left to hope that they could find the ship.
When he’d listened to Meena’s thoughts, she had told him all about Fool’s Cove and the ships she had seen moored there. Meena had shown him the way out, and Dragmall had organised their passage with a merchant who had greedily taken his coins.
Meena had shown him the way out, knowing that she would have to stay behind to face Draguta’s wrath alone.
Else was sniffling beside Dragmall and he knew what that was about.
Morana couldn’t care less about leaving Meena behind; she just wanted to get onto that ship. She could hear Dragmall going over the plan in his mind.
It was going to work if they could just get onto that ship.
Gant screamed, trying to shake off the teeth of the red-eyed dog that were clamped around his arm; razor-like fangs, piercing his skin. More and more of them were jumping the wall. The catapults were shooting sea-fire, but too many barsk had already crossed the valley into the fort. He could hear the horses panicking too, and he worried about Gus.
Aleksander hacked an axe into the barsk’s neck.
Once. Twice.
And on his third chop, the jaw released and Gant shook his arm, clenching his teeth against the pain. His mind raced to Gisila. Spinning around he saw Bram, struggling to help
Thorgils fend off a snapping dog. ‘Bram! Get to the hall! Make sure they’re safe in there! Now!’
‘Gant!’ Bram pointed behind him as a barsk knocked Aleksander to the ground, paws on his chest, jaw open.
Thorgils spun around, bringing his sword down across the dog’s back, severing its spine, listening to its howl of pain as it staggered, dropping onto Aleksander who quickly pushed it away. He struggled back to his feet, watching as Bram hurried towards the hall, swinging his axe as another black dog leapt out of the shadows.
The giant had a giant sword, which made sense, Jael supposed, and she could see very quickly that Toothpick was not going to help her.
‘I don’t want to hurt you,’ Rollo tried, walking past the broken gate, out onto the deserted, dark road. He thought of Eadmund. He knew that this was Eadmund’s wife. And though Eadmund didn’t appear to care about her, she was still his wife, and Rollo had no issue with her. ‘I’m going past you. With this book. Understand? You’re not going to stop me taking it to Draguta.’
Jael was getting fucking sick of Draguta.
Sheathing Toothpick and drawing her bloody knife, she ran at Rollo, sliding across the muddy road before she reached him, slicing her knife across his ankle. He barely stumbled before turning and running away, knowing that his crew would already be heading for the ship.
He wasn’t going to waste his time fighting Jael Furyck.
Jael stared after him. Surprised. Quickly on her feet.
Running after him.
Edela was bleeding as she knelt on the floor. She had drawn a symbol, hoping she’d remembered it correctly, though she hadn’t been able to remember the chant. ‘Eydis,’ she breathed, trembling, trying to steady her nerves. The howling of the barsk was only getting louder. ‘Eydis, is there any way you can find the words?’
Eydis was crawling on her knees, trying to find Ido who was whimpering in the distance. She was too scared to think at all. ‘I’ll try,’ she said, swallowing. ‘I’ll try.’
Rollo could hear Jael coming, and he grunted in annoyance, turning as Jael threw herself to the ground again, slashing her knife across the front of his knees, as deep as she could, feeling her blade strike bone. The giant wasn’t going to be running anywhere if she could help it. Rolling away, she was pleased to hear the pain in his voice as he roared in anger.
Now he was mad.
Rollo came at her like a mountain, then, and Jael waited, counting until he was almost at her and his sword was high in the air, and her heart had stopped, and then she dropped, skidding across the ground again, backhanding the knife, dragging it across the back of his knees. Rolling, she was on her feet quickly, facing him.
‘Fuck!’ Rollo bellowed, stumbling as Jael drew in some air.
She needed to be fast.
Faster than a big, lumbering rock who couldn’t move as nimbly as she could; not with shredded knees, leaking all over the ground. Bending down, Jael yanked her other knife out of her sock and ran at him again, armed in both hands now, sliding across the mud, puncturing his ankles, just above the bones.
Knives in. Knives out.
Rollo had the book in one hand, his giant sword in the other and Jael needed to bring him down quickly before he grew bored with her game or she ran out of air or the barsk came to kill them both.
Edela needed that book.
She had to hurry.
The doors to the hall pushed open easily, and Bram ran inside with a frown, ready to tell someone off, but he saw the trail of blood and his heart hammered in his chest.
He could smell death.
There were bodies by the door. More bodies as he moved through the hall.
He couldn’t hear Sigmund. He couldn’t hear anyone at all. ‘Runa! Runa!’ And he ran to the grey curtain, slipping on blood.
Runa’s blood.
A torch flickered its flame across the corridor, and Bram could see Runa lying on the ground, her legs bent, her eyes open, her pale nightdress soaked red. ‘No!’ he screamed, dropping to his knees. ‘No! Runa!’ he cried, pulling her into his arms. ‘No!’ Bram sat there, rocking her gently, ignoring the howling of the barsk and the terrified cries of the dying.
Her body was chilled. Still. He could feel it.
There was no life in it anymore.
Shock and pain flooded every part of him, then a movement caught his eye, and he turned his head towards the kitchen, seeing another body. Lying Runa back on the bloody ground, sobs heaving in his aching chest, Bram struggled back to his feet, hurrying towards the figure. ‘Gisila!’
Her eyes were closed, blood leaking from her belly, he thought. He couldn’t tell. There was too much of it. Her arms were cut. An axe lay by her side.
‘Gisila?’
Biddy rushed into the square, screaming at the sight of the terrifying black dogs. They were enormous, vicious, their deep growls rumbling like thunder. One turned at the sound of her cry, lifting its head, fangs bared.
Red eyes locking on her.
Thorgils ran in front of Biddy. ‘What are you doing?!’ he yelled, a spear in his hand. ‘What are you doing here?’ Then he frowned. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘Jael,’ Biddy panted. ‘It’s Jael!’
Jael was running out of steam and Rollo was running out of patience.
His men would be waiting. He had to hurry.
But his legs were spilling so much blood that he was having trouble moving them. His knees wouldn’t bend, and his ankles felt weak. He realised that if Draguta wanted him to leave with the book, he was going to have to do something to stop Jael Furyck. ‘I know your husband!’ he called, gritting his teeth against the building waves of pain.
Jael stilled, hauling in another breath, feeling it burn her lungs, crouching.
‘I know Eadmund! I’ve trained him! Drunk with him. Watched him with Draguta! He’s hers now!’ He wanted to unsettle her. Distract her. ‘And Evaine! He loves her! Couldn’t keep his hands off her!’
Jael saw a flash of Eadmund. She saw their daughter’s face too. And she blinked it all away, Rollo’s words drifting across her like a breeze.
She needed that book back.
Now.
Slipping one knife inside its scabbard, she grasped the other in her right hand and charged. A man like that could snap her in two, she knew.
But only if he could catch her.
Rollo watched her coming. He could hear Draguta, sharply reminding him that he couldn’t kill her. But he had to hurt her. He needed to stop her.
Lifting his sword, Rollo kept his feet planted, knowing that he’d have to aim for an arm or a leg.
A stomach wound would likely be the end of her.
He aimed low, and Jael anticipated it, throwing herself up over his sword and onto his chest, the knife haft in her mouth now, her hands around his thick, tattooed neck.
Thorgils had ordered Biddy into the hall, and run to find Jael.
As Biddy pushed open the doors, she put her hand over her mouth, knowing that something terrible had happened. She could smell it.
And suddenly, she could hear it.
‘Who’s there?’ she called out nervously, hovering near the door, remembering the man who had stolen the Book of Aurea.
‘Biddy? Biddy? Help me! Quick!’
‘Bram?’ Biddy raced forward, her eyes widening as she passed the bodies on the ground. ‘Bram!’ And she ran to the curtain where she saw Runa. ‘Runa! No!’ Her heart thumping, she spun around, and there was Bram, kneeling by Gisila. ‘Gisila!’
‘We need to help her. She’s still breathing!’ Bram struggled to his feet, Gisila’s blood-soaked body limp in his arms. ‘I’ll take her to a bed.’ He walked as fast as he could towards the chambers, moving around Runa’s dead body, trying not to look at her.
Biddy couldn’t think. Her eyes were full of tears as she turned away from Runa, stumbling after Bram. Then she heard the low growling coming from the hall. ‘Bram!’
Bram had heard it too. He hurried out of Gisila’
s chamber, looking for that axe. ‘Go to Gisila! Barricade yourself in! Hurry! Put the chair behind the door!’ And picking up the bloody axe, Bram stepped back through the curtain.
Jael fought to hold on as Rollo swung her. His hands were full, and though he wanted to toss the book, and free one of them, he knew he couldn’t.
Jael wasn’t going to wait for him to figure out what to do with her, though. She had to get the book to Edela. Clambering up his chest, she freed a hand, pulling the knife out of her mouth, slamming it into the top of his shining head. Releasing her hold on him, she dropped to the ground, stumbling backwards.
Rollo screamed, crying out, his sword falling out of his hand as he hurried to pull out the knife, his face running red with blood.
‘No, no, no!’ Draguta bellowed, her body as rigid as stone.
Meena felt the grip of Draguta’s hand crushing hers.
Eadmund was lost in a wash of noise and confusion.
Watching Rollo. Watching Jael.
Feeling Draguta’s anger explode all over him like burning sea-fire.
‘Jael!’
Thorgils was running down the road towards her, two snarling barsk chasing after him.
Jael quickly unsheathed Toothpick, turning from one problem to the next. Rollo had the knife out of his skull, and he tried to lunge for her but his legs staggered, going in different directions, wobbling at his sliced knees.
He felt the blood gushing down his back; the searing pain in his head.
Draguta screeching in his ears.
Everything started going dark. And all he could see were two pairs of red eyes. Stumbling, he crashed onto his knees.
‘Get his sword!’ Jael yelled, brandishing Toothpick as Thorgils ran behind her. ‘Give it to me!’