“Come on, Lacy,” she growled out loud. “They need you. Move, dammit!”
She forced herself into a slow, cautious run. She’d be no good to anyone if she fell and broke an ankle. As she began to move, the heaviness in the air lessened, until it was finally gone and the normal noises of night in the woods had returned.
Moments later, she could hear a noise in front of her. It was Ed’s voice, but it sounded strange; soft and strangled, as if he were struggling to speak.
“Ed?” she heard Solomon’s voice. “Ed? Can you hear me? It’s going to be okay. We’ll get you help.”
Lacy slowed down, not wanting to see what was coming. But she pushed herself forward, calling out. “Solomon! It’s me, Lacy! Where are you?”
She came through the trees to find Solomon, holding Ed in his arms like a baby.
“Ed's hurt,” he said, when he saw her, “Daisy and I are okay, but Ed needs help, right away. We need to get him to the hospital.”
“Oh my God,” Lacy said. “Come on. Follow me.”
She turned and set off through the woods, back toward her house. Solomon followed behind, carrying Ed with no apparent effort, and Daisy came behind him, stopping every few seconds to sniff the air before moving on.
Minutes later they came out of the woods, and Lacy ran for her house.
“Put him in the car,” she called over her shoulder. “I’ll get my keys.”
By the time she came back out, Solomon had Ed laid across the back seat of her car. She climbed into the driver’s seat, while Solomon got in the other side, telling Daisy to stay put.
As she pulled out of the driveway, her headlights washed over the woods. There, standing slightly inside the tree line, she saw Luke watching as she drove away. She started to hit the brakes, but remembered Ed lying unconscious in the backseat, and kept moving instead.
It wasn’t until she was on the road that she realized how badly her arm was bothering her.
CHAPTER 12
Luke watched Lacy’s car pull away, with Ed in the back seat and that tall stranger in the front with her. He felt a quick flash of jealousy at that. The stranger had driven off the dark thing that controlled him now, but only for the moment. It would be back. But still, that was far more than Luke had ever been able to do.
Ever since it had come for him, had touched him and turned him into this…this…whatever he was now, Luke had been in thrall to it. If it demanded that he show himself to Lacy, to get her attention, he had no choice but to do it. He didn’t know why he was being used, why he wasn’t being killed, or what his master intended, but he did know that he was never going to get away from it.
Even standing there, watching the lights of Lacy’s car dim as she drove away, was only allowed because the dark thing had run off. Otherwise, he wasn’t quite sure what would have happened.
Luke was turning to go back deeper into the woods when the air temperature started to plummet and he shivered. He took a few steps and then froze, watching as a deeper darkness formed in front of him.
A thin, cadaverous finger touched Luke, right above his sternum, and it was as if cold, white fire spread through his limbs, locking them up and freezing him in place. A couple of tears made it part way down his cheeks before they too froze.
“You have defied me…” a voice hissed from the dark figure in front of him.
“No. No, master,” Luke managed to get out.
“Yessss…and after I granted you a favor, too. Bad human.”
“No, please, I didn’t…”
“You did. You tried to warn them. The human male and one of the Folk. What was that one doing here? Hmmm? Why was I not told about him? He and his miserable hound?”
The finger pressed harder and Luke screamed as the agony shooting through his joints spiked. He would have fallen to the forest floor if he had been able to.
“Please! Master, I didn’t know about them! I still don’t! I thought that Ed would come alone! He’s strong, and you said you needed someone strong…”
Luke felt like dying as he said this. He didn’t know what plans the dark thing that ruled over him now had, but it had told him that he needed someone strong to take, not a weak-willed coward like Luke. It had been Luke’s idea to get Lacy to lure Ed out here to the woods, where his master could take him, and then maybe he could be free.
But then he had heard Lacy scream, and he couldn’t take that. He had begged his master to stop hurting her, to let her go, that it was enough. The thing had laughed at him, but let her go anyway. It had settled with hurting Luke again, but at least Lacy was going to be okay. When it was done with him, Luke had dragged her to the road, where a car was bound to see her. The thing had let him do that, at least.
The dark figure removed his finger from Luke’s chest, and he dropped to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
“I will let you live…for now. You will bring the Folk back to me. You can kill the hound, and the human male. And the female, as well.”
“Lacy?” Luke whimpered. “But you said that she’d be…”
“That was before you betrayed me!” It bent down over him. “Now, let it be part of your punishment.”
“Part?”
It extended one thin finger, ending in a sharp talon-like nail. Luke watched, frozen, as it inched closer to his left eye. “Part,” it whispered.
CHAPTER 13
Shireen was impressed in spite of herself. She loved the Towering Oaks compound, with its massive trees and well-planned layout. She was comfortable with its organization and ease of movement.
But Whispering Pines was different. It was much more…organic, she thought the word would be. While Towering Oaks was laid-out with a martial mindset, Whispering Pines gave itself over more to the aesthetic, and allowed plants to grow where they would, and had more areas dedicated to nothing more than being beautiful. It was pleasant to ride through, even if the reason they were here wasn't.
Orlando and she had accompanied Jediah. Even though the soldiers of Towering Oaks were more than a match for those of Whispering Pines, she still wouldn't allow the Head of her House to ride into the lion's den by himself. And Orlando went where she did.
They were watched as they rode, of course, but more with curiosity than with any open malice. Men and women, dressed in the dark green robes of House Whispering Pines, watched them pass, commenting to each other in quiet tones. Shireen was sure they were wondering what three armed and armored warriors of Towering Oaks were doing here, even if they didn't recognize Jediah himself.
As they approached the large tree that made up the main house of Whispering Pines, a man stepped out of the doors and waited patiently for them to arrive. Shireen recognized Thaddeus, Florian's cousin and chief advisor. Florian was dangerous enough, in an underhanded way, but Shireen had always suspected that Thaddeus was the real snake that needed watching.
"Jediah, Head of House Towering Oaks!" Thaddeus bowed deeply. "To what do we owe this unexpected honor?"
"I must speak with your master. Bring me to Florian."
"Ah, that might be difficult, I'm afraid. Florian is indisposed at the moment, and has asked me to see if I might be able to help you."
Jediah looked down at Thaddeus, then dismounted from his horse. He stepped near to the other man.
"I have no time for your foolish games, Thaddeus. You will bring me to Florian now, or I will leave and return with the full might of House Towering Oaks."
Shireen was surprised to hear Jediah speak like this. Openly threatening to attack another house was cause for war. But Thaddeus was smart, and she hoped that he would take the threat as the dramatic gesture that she was sure Jediah meant it as.
"Jediah," Thaddeus began, an unctuous smile on his face. "Let us not make unwarranted threats. We both know that Jamshir would bring Glittering Birch to bear on..."
"Damn, Jamshir! And damn his House!"
Shireen gasped, and glanced at Orlando, who looked on with wide eyes. Thaddeus stopped
talking, obviously taken aback. He regarded Jediah for a moment, his brows furrowed.
"Lord Jediah," he said quietly. "Surely you don't mean..."
"I will speak with Florian," Jediah growled. "If I don't, it won't matter what Jamshir thinks anyway."
Thaddeus bowed again. "Allow me one moment, please. I will speak with Lord Florian and try to impress on him the...urgency...of your request."
He turned and reentered the house, while Shireen and Orlando dismounted also.
"That was risky," Orlando said quietly. "And I don't trust that Thaddeus. I'm sure that Jamshir will have word of this before the day is out."
"Let him," Jediah said. "If he wants, he can appoint another to rule over Towering Oaks in my stead. This is too important."
Shireen stood nearby, the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. To insult Jamshir was one thing, but to be openly defiant of his rule was another. Glittering Birch was powerful, their military prowess almost equal to Jediah’s house, but they had an ability that Towering Oaks did not. If Jamshir called for it, all other houses would band together to remove a rogue house. If he made the demand, Towering Oaks would have the choice between accepting a new Head of House, selected by Jamshir, or being totally destroyed. Plus, it was rumored that Jamshir controlled powerful magic, either through his own house, or another tied closely to him.
And Jamshir would destroy them, of that Shireen had no doubt. While he could be noble, and magnanimous at times, he could also be petty and capricious. If he heard of Jediah's words, there was a good chance that he would take the opportunity to order his removal.
She stewed and watched those around them, feeling that they were in the middle of an enemy encampment, while Orlando talked quietly with Jediah. After several minutes had passed, the door to the massive tree in front of them opened, and Thaddeus returned.
"This way, please," the man said. "And please forgive my earlier impudence. I spoke out of turn."
He held the door wide and stepped aside so that they could enter. Again, Shireen found herself impressed, while not wanting to be. The interior was much as the grounds had been. Beautifully laid out, letting the organic nature of the tree influence how the space was used. Yet, still functional and practical.
Thaddeus led them to another set of doors that opened to an interior room lined with shelves full of books. Florian, the head of House Whispering Pines, was at his ease in a chair that flowed out of the floor, shaped from the living wood, and covered with a soft cushion. He looked up as they entered.
"Jediah," he said, rising to his feet and extending a hand. "It's been too long."
"Yes," Jediah answered, ignoring Florian’s gesture. "Ever since you insisted on exiling the best of us. I want him back, Florian. More than that, we need him back. All of us."
"The best of us?" Florian frowned. "We've been through this, Jediah, and Jamshir himself agreed. Solomon failed in his duty. A duty that I never wanted him to have, mind you. For that, he deserved death, and you know it. The only reason I even consented to banishment was out of respect for you. But, as I say, we've been through this already. If that's the only reason you're here, then you can leave. Bring the might of your house against us, if you wish. I will not bow to you."
Shireen could see the muscles bunch in Jediah's jaw, and knew that he was holding his anger in check. For her part, seeing the man that was responsible for the exile of her dearest friend was a bitter pill to swallow. She ached to pull her sword from her sheath and bury it in the fool’s ribs. But that would accomplish nothing to help Solomon, or the Folk themselves. And with the threat of the Soul Gaunts being real, every able-bodied soldier would be needed.
With a visible effort, Jediah spoke. "Things have changed, Florian. There is a threat to the Greenweald. To all of us. I believe it is beyond all of us, as well. We need Solomon here."
Florian returned to his seat and gestured for Jediah to take the other. "Thaddeus, refreshments for our guests, please."
Thaddeus went to a side board and poured five crystal glasses of a yellow liquid. He served the Head of his House, then Jediah, Shireen, Orlando, and finally himself. Shireen sipped at the liquor, enjoying the slow burn of it in her throat.
"Now," Florian said. "Tell me, Jediah, what exactly is this threat that has you so worked up?"
"Soul Gaunts," Jediah said.
Shireen heard a gasp and the crack of a crystal glass hitting the wood floor. Thaddeus had dropped his drink. "Surely not," he said, ignoring the spill. "They are nothing more than stories to frighten children with."
"Yet you look frightened enough, Thaddeus," Florian said, a small smile on his lips. "And you're no child. But, why," and here he turned to Jediah, "would this be any concern of mine? Soul Gaunts, even if they have returned, have never been known to attack the Greenweald proper. And if they did, one man, even such a man as Solomon, would make no difference."
"You're wrong on both counts. One did attack the Greenweald, years back. It was defeated, killed even, by the only one of us that I have ever heard of doing so."
"You're going to tell me that Solomon killed a Soul Gaunt by himself? I find that hard to believe on many levels."
"Nevertheless," Jediah said, "it's the truth. One attacked a child walking in the forest. In the Greenweald proper, where she should have been safe. Solomon was riding nearby, hunting. He heard the screams, but by the time he got there, it was too late. The child was drained, but the Gaunt was still there, hiding. It attacked Solomon next, but that was its mistake. Solomon defeated it, with the help of a sword that he had at the time. It was a close call though, and he told me later on that if it wasn't for the magic of the sword, he didn't think he would have made it out."
"Hmm. Sounds unlikely at best. What was this sword that he supposedly used?"
"Solomon called it Justice, because that's what he believed in the most. It's had other names in the past. Flamebringer, Firebrand."
"Ah. So, now you expect me to not only believe in a child's boogey-man, but also in the existence of a legendary sword of fire? One that no one has seen in centuries? I know you're angry about losing Solomon, Jediah, but this is beneath you."
Jediah nodded, and took a sip of his drink. "Shireen, Orlando. Tell Florian what you told me. About what you encountered up north."
Shireen and Orlando took turns telling Florian of their patrol to the northern border, the dead Hairy Men that they had found, and the encounters they had suffered through at night on the way back to their House.
"I'm supposed to believe in this, am I?" Florian said when they had finished.
A flare of anger raged through Shireen. "I do not lie! And neither does Orlando! Believe it as you wish!"
Florian gave her a long, slow look, glanced at Orlando, and then turned back again to Jediah. "Let's say, for the sake of argument that I believe you. What would you have of me?"
“We need Solomon back, of course.”
Florian frowned at this. “I know you have a great deal of esteem for the man. And, up until he proved unworthy, and cost my daughter her life, I did too. But I don’t believe he’s the only one who is capable of defeating a Soul Gaunt. What about this sword of his? He didn’t have it when he was sent away. Where is it? Another could wield it as easily, couldn’t they? You could do it yourself.”
“No one knows,” Jediah replied. “He hid it after that fight, saying that it would be kept safe until it was truly needed again. The impression I got was that the only thing he knew of that would cause him to retrieve it, would be another Gaunt.”
“I see.” Florian took a sip of his liquor and gazed around him. “I still don’t see that I need to agree to bringing Solomon back here, though. But I will make one concession. You will send someone, and I will pick someone to accompany them. They can go to that other Earth and ask Solomon where the sword is. I will even consent to them bringing some articles from the Greenweald to make his exile more comfortable. Surely, that’s reasonable.”
Shireen saw the d
isappointment in her leader’s eyes, but they were unlikely to get a better deal from Florian. At least at this point. Jediah opened his mouth to reply but was cut off.
“Umm,” the voice of Thaddeus cut in. “That might not be quite as easy as it sounds.”
Florian turned and looked at him. “What are you talking about? Why not?”
Thaddeus cleared his throat and looked uncomfortable. “Understand that, at the time, I was very angry over the loss of Celia.”
“Get on with it, Thaddeus,” Jediah growled.
Shireen could see the uneasiness in the man. It was in the way he refused to meet any of their gazes, in the way he turned his empty glass around and around in his hands.
“I made an…arrangement…with one of the mages who sent him away. For a price, I asked that one other thing be done. In hindsight, perhaps it was a kindness. Although, I have to admit, at the time, I couldn’t imagine a worse punishment.”
“What did you do?” Florian asked, his voice gone deadly quiet.
“I…well, I asked that his memory be removed. Totally.”
“What?!” The exclamation burst from Shireen before she could control herself. She started toward Thaddeus, her hands aching to get around his throat, but Orlando got in front of her and held her back. “You worm!” she spat. “Wasn’t it enough? To deprive of him of the Greenweald? You had to take away the memory of those that loved him? Of us?”
Jediah put his hand on her shoulder. She hadn’t even realized that he had risen from his chair.
“Peace, Shireen,” he said. She felt a slight sense of calm come over her. Jediah wasn’t using any sort of magic on her, such things were beyond him. It was simply his presence, his own calmness which influenced her.
She stopped trying to get past Orlando and slumped against him, not caring about the break in military discipline at the moment. Then, she straightened, glared for a moment at Thaddeus, and returned to her place. Orlando let her go, but she knew he was keeping a careful eye on her.
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