Leanansidhe was stalling; Alo could see that now. The remaining creatures were inching out to the sides, trying to block them in. He and Maureen could try to escape into the house and out the front, but with what he knew about the faery, she had already closed that route off. Five of the beasts remained, along with the faery. Her alone would have been fight enough, but the creatures left them badly outnumbered. They were in trouble.
"Mo," he whispered. "Go inside."
His wife ignored him, her bow once again aiming for Leanansidhe. "Is Aiofe alive?" she asked, her voice quivering.
The faery woman's grin grew and she shrugged. "With any luck, she will be a banshee by now. I have had some fun with little experiments. It is almost like cooking, you know. A dash of this, a sprinkle of that, and voila! A brand new species designed to wreak pure havoc. I would have been able to watch the results if not for those meddlesome southerners." Leanansidhe scoffed and shook her head. "No respect for science anymore."
"Lea, stand down."
All eight heads turned toward the new voice echoing from the woods. A tall blond man was riding up the lawn on a horse, moving slowly but steadily. Leanansidhe half growled, half sighed as she turned her body part way to address him.
"Kane," she said, her voice floating across the grass. "What an unwelcome surprise."
Alo grabbed Maureen's arm and pulled her back, putting them closer to the house and the open door. He watched as the young faery dismounted and strode across the lawn. It took the old man a moment to connect the dots, to realize he was staring at Titania's son. Anger surged through his body as he thought of his daughter. The last time he saw Kane, the faery was standing over her mutilated body holding the knife that was responsible for her death. The blade in Alo's hand continued to shake.
"What do you want, Kane?" Leanansidhe propped her hands on her hips, her sword sticking out at a very dangerous angle, not coincidentally pointed directly at the newcomer.
"Let them go. They are not part of this battle." Kane stood in front of her, his sword still sheathed, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
Leanansidhe snarled at him. "Oh, but they are." Her sword hand shot out, pointing directly at Maureen. "That is the last of the line of The First. When she is gone, the protection is broken. Not only will I have your mother's throne, but I will have this world, as well." She took a step forward and ran her free hand across Kane's chest, looking up into his eyes with a lust that made Alo's stomach lurch. "I bet you would like that, no? To be king of the humans? To rule over these filth and make them into the slaves they were meant to be?"
Kane didn't respond for a moment, then his hand came up, smashing into her breast bone and sending her flying across the lawn. He drew his sword and leapt up the stairs toward the hunters. Alo raised his sword and slashed out. It clanged against Kane's just as Maureen loosed an arrow. It sailed past him, lodging into the wood railing of the porch.
"Stop," Kane cried, stepping back and putting his hands up. "I'm not here to hurt you."
Aloysius stepped forward, waving his sword wildly. He took a swing and Kane ducked, but Alo wasn't aiming for him. The blade whirred through the air, slicing the arm off one of Leanansidhe's creatures. Kane turned, putting his back to the man, and swung his own weapon as a second beast leapt through the air toward him. His blade lodged in the flesh of the thing's shoulder, pulling him down to his knees. He struggled against the howling creature, trying to disentangle his sword as Alo finished off the other creature.
"Why are you here, then?" the old man asked, slamming the witch's blade down into Kane's opponent, ending the mini battle.
Kane jerked his sword free and shook off the black blood. "Where is Aiofe?" he asked, glancing quickly at Leanansidhe. The faery woman was rising, albeit slowly, but she was clearly angry.
Alo stood beside his wife. "She's not here."
Kane stopped and stood straight up, turning to face the man. His eyes were wide. "Where is she?"
Alo frowned at the concern in his voice. "We don't know. Your friend there seems to think she does."
"Shit." Kane turned back toward Leanansidhe once more, just in time to be thrown backward against the house. Siding cracked with the impact, sending slivers of wood raining down over the trio.
The faery woman smiled. "Never do that again. Now, where was I? Oh yes, wiping out the line of The First." She raised a hand, her lips moving silently. Alo couldn't see her sword anywhere, but it was clear she didn't need it. Flame glowed in the palm of her hand, the ball growing larger the longer she chanted. Her eyes rose, locking on Maureen. With a thrust of her fist, the fire ball was soaring through the air, straight at Alo's wife.
The old man moved faster than he had ever moved before. He lunged, knocking Maureen over. The fire singed his hair and Maureen was groaning in pain underneath him, but they were still alive. He watched with horror as his blade twirled over the side of the porch, out of reach. Behind them, Kane groaned, half conscious, and steady thumps echoed across the porch as Leanansidhe advanced up the stairs.
*~*~*
TWENTY-FIVE
*~*~*
"That way," Aiofe said, pointing through the tangle of trees. Arthur tugged the horse's reins gently, steering it in the direction of her finger. They plodded slowly along, the animals picking over the brush and fallen logs carefully. "Maybe we should have left the horses behind," the young woman muttered, her fingers tapping impatiently on the creature's neck.
"We cannot leave them unattended," said Arthur behind her. "Besides, they are excellent warriors."
Aiofe raised an eyebrow and turned halfway in her seat. "The horses fight?"
"Absolutely." Zela was a few feet to their left. She patted her horse affectionately. "They are a special breed, raised on the plains of..." She trailed off and raised her head, sniffing. "Do you smell that?"
Aiofe's nostrils flared in response, catching a whiff of smoke. She took a deeper breath. She could smell the flames, taste them on her tongue. There was no doubt in her mind where the fire was. Coughing roughly, she quickly slid her leg over the horse's neck and leapt to the ground.
Arthur was right beside her, his hand gripping her arm gently. "Wait, do not run up there unprepared."
She yanked away from him. "My house is on fire!" Her voice echoed off the trees, but she didn't care. Turning, she darted through the woods, the power of the locket and her own blood mixing with her fear to give her an extra boost of adrenal.
"Aiofe, wait!" Arthur's call was fading behind her. She stumbled momentarily in a panic of deja vu. It was long enough for him to catch up to her. His horse had been left behind, snorting frantically as its master raced through woods it couldn't navigate so easily. "Stop," the knight breathed as he reached her, taking her arm gently once more. "Just wait a moment."
They were at the edge of the woods now. Aiofe leaned against a tree, panting heavily. She could see the roof of the cabin. It was bright orange. Flames danced out of her bedroom window, licking toward the sky. She sagged against the tree, a harsh sob escaping her lips as she pressed a hand over her mouth. Her vision blurred with fat tears and her body started to shake. Arthur slipped an arm around her and pulled her close, brushing her hair gently with one hand.
A cry echoed from across the lawn and Aiofe was off once more, racing up the small incline. She was halfway there before she noticed the bodies near the house. Two of them sat crumpled against the porch guarded by gray beasts that Aiofe had never seen. A third person was a few feet in front of it, on her knees, hands behind her head. The long white hair flowed in the light breeze from the fire behind her. A tall woman with dark hair paced in a circle around her, sword drawn and pointed at her victim.
Aiofe stopped and drew an arrow, her shaking hands failing to nock it the first two times she tried. By the time she had it on the string, the tall woman had stopped moving. She was staring at Aiofe with a smile on her face. As the young woman watched, the faery raised a booted foot and kicked her grandmothe
r in the shoulder. The old hunter went sprawling across the grass, crying out in pain. Aiofe's arrow ripped through the air, but the faery was ready. With a flick of her sword, she deflected it away expertly, sending it to thud uselessly into the burning house behind her.
"Leave them alone," Aiofe cried as she pulled another arrow from her quiver. "Your battle is with me."
Leanansidhe laughed. "One of my battles, yes. But I am going to kill them, too. The only real question is who do I kill first." She spun around and pointed her sword at Maureen. "What about grandmother? Put her out of her misery so she does not have to watch her darling granddaughter die?" She whipped around, her hand ablaze. "Or maybe I will just kill you first."
The ball of fire sizzled as it flew through the air. Aiofe barely had time to blink before she was face first in the grass. Arthur rolled off of her, bringing his sword up as he stood. Shouts echoed from near the woods and several mounted riders broke from the trees. The steeds tore across the grass, divots flying up behind them. Zela's hand was crackling with a sphere of energy and she sent it shooting toward the other faery. Leanansidhe ducked, rolling to the side.
Aiofe slipped her knife from her belt and scampered over to where her grandmother lay. "Are you okay?" she asked, her heart pounding with fear.
Maureen smiled weakly. "I'm fine, dear. Help me sit up."
By the time Aiofe got her into a seated position, the others had reached them and a battle was beginning. The gray creatures howled and launched themselves at the attackers as more of them swarmed around the corner of the house. Percival was locked in a fierce battle with the largest of the group, his sword clanging loudly against the beast's arms as it tried to fight through the knight's defenses. Kay leapt off his horse beside Arthur, bringing his sword to bear as three of the things surrounded them. Zela and Leanansidhe squared off, the blond faery wielding a ball of lightening while the brunette played with fire.
"Aiofe, quickly!" The girl followed her grandmother's frantic pointing. Several of the gray beasts were gathered around the two bodies by the porch. Her grandfather lay unmoving behind another man. He had a sword in his hand, the witch's blade her grandfather kept locked in the garage. Smoke wafted up from where his skin touched the hilt. She squinted at him, taking in his blond hair and rough beard. She had seen him before, more than once.
She threw her knife and it met its mark, sinking deep into his shoulder. He grunted and stumbled back a step, but his eyes never left the beasts around him. She could have sworn that his determined grimace took on a sad note.
"Aiofe, my bow." Her grandmother was pointing to a pile of wood a few steps away. Aiofe ran to it and snatched the bow off the ground. Taking an arrow from the quiver, she aimed at one of the beasts near her grandfather. It sank deep into the gray flesh and the creature crumpled to the ground. As she pulled another out, the blond faery swung the blade, slicing the head of another beast clean off. She finished off the last with the bow, burying an arrow in its neck even as it ripped the blade from the faery's hand.
The blond faery stumbled toward her a step, his hand out. "Aiofe," he whispered as he fell to a knee.
She glared at him sideways, turning to her grandmother instead. Slipping an arm around the old woman's waist, she hoisted her to her feet and dragged her over to the porch. She could feel the heat from the flames licking at the upper stories of the house, but it had not yet reached them. For now it would do.
"Grandad," the young woman said, reaching down to shake the old man. “Grandad, wake up.”
Alo's eyes fluttered open, rolling around until they locked on his granddaughter. A small smile tugged at his lips. “Aiofe, you're alive.”
“Of course I am,” she said, matching his smile. “Let's get you up.”
As she leaned down to wrap his arm around her shoulder, a heavy weight plowed into her legs, sending her tumbling to the ground.
*~*~*
Arthur swung his sword, slamming it into the arm of a gray beast with all his might. The blade sliced the skin, but did not penetrate to the flesh. The creature howled and swung at him. Arthur's backward leap set him off balance and he stumbled as the beast charged him. As he brought his sword up to deflect another blow, a blade came in from his right, piercing the softer skin under the creature's arm. It wailed briefly before toppling over.
"Need a little help?" Kay asked as he and Arthur took up back to back stances against two more beasts.
"Sure, if you have the time." Arthur grunted as he swung, missing his attacker's head by two inches.
The pair rotated, parrying and attacking in turns, holding the beasts at bay. As he turned, Arthur saw Percival, going toe-to-toe with a creature almost as tall as he was. The young man held his own, though, along with the help from his horse, and Arthur could see several leaking wounds on the beast's tough flesh. Several horses were locked into a fierce brawl with more of the gray beasts. Arthur worried briefly, but the gray bodies gathered on the ground were proof that the steeds were not simple-minded pack animals.
Behind Percival battled the two faeries, one wielding flame that set everything in its path on fire, the other dual-wielding wind and lightening. As Leanansidhe loosed a flaming ball toward Zela, the faery princess twirled her left hand quickly, a mini cyclone forming around her fingers. It shot toward the fire with deadly accuracy, wrapping it up inside its cone. Arthur watched as the windy cage shot skyward into the heavens until it was no longer visible.
"This is not the time for daydreams, my brother." Kay grunted as one of the creatures connected its fist with his ribs. He stumbled to the side and fell to one knee. As the creature pounced, Arthur brought his blade down. The point sank into the flesh at the base of the beast's neck. It fell, thrashing feebly on the ground, but it could not stand.
Arthur turned to face the remaining creature as Kay rose to his feet. The dark knight stood hunched slightly, his free arm across his ribs. The knights split apart, one on either side of the gray beast. It turned quickly, trying to face both ways at once as the knights harried its flanks, poking holes into its skin every time it turned. As it faced Arthur, Kay made to dart in, but he stopped, his attention pulled away to something behind Arthur. The king raised his blade, warding off the heavy blow from the beast, unable to see where Kay was looking. Before he could move, Kay took off across the grass, running at full speed.
The beast in front of Arthur took advantage of the change in situation, using its powerful legs to leapt at the knight. Arthur wasn't prepared and the only thing he could do was bring his sword in front of him. It saved him. As they fell to the ground, the hilt smashed into his breastbone, pushing the air from his lungs. The blade, however, guided by the force of impact with Arthur and the ground, pushed through the thick skin on the creature's chest, tearing through its heart and out its back. Arthur lay beneath the heavy beast, panting rapidly as he tried to inhale air. He tilted his head back, trying to find his friend.
Kay was running across the lawn toward another creature. It took Arthur a moment to realize what the creature was doing. A flash of red hair underneath the beast made the man's heart pound faster. Kay reached them, bringing his sword to bear. He slashed down, slicing a chunk of skin off the beast's shoulder. It tumbled off Aiofe and scrambled to its feet even as she crawled around behind Kay. The dark knight swung, blocking the beast's blow. It lunged, grabbing at his ankles, but in doing so, it exposed the weak point on its neck. He thrust the blade down as its hands connected with his legs. The creature pulled, knocking him over, but his momentum shoved the blade deeper, severing the creature's spinal cord.
Arthur shoved at the beast on top of it, grunting with the effort. It rolled off and he freed himself, climbing to his knees. When he looked up once more, he saw the dark faery stalking across the lawn, a ball of flame in her hand, murder in her eyes. She stopped, raised the hand, and shoved the fire through the air. Arthur quickly traced its path to find its intended target. Aiofe lay on the ground, moaning and trying to get to her hands and
knees after being crushed by Kay. The other knight was on his side, panting and clutching a leg that was bent at the wrong angle.
"No!" Arthur shoved himself to his feet even as his heart began to break. There was no way he could reach his friend or his love in time.
Even as he watched with despair, Kay grabbed Aiofe by the back of the jacket. Dragging her bodily across the ground, he used his good leg to shove himself up and over her. The fire connected with his back before he hit the ground, piercing through the armor and crawling into his hair, and onto the grass below. The wail of pain that tore from his lungs was unlike any Arthur had ever heard. He raced toward his friend, his sword forgotten, everything else around him a blur.
Movement to the side caught his attention. A blond man lay on the ground, a blade in his shoulder. In one swift motion, the man ripped the blade from his body and threw it with such force, he fell over. The knife soared through the air toward the wicked faery. She was intent on the knight burning on the ground and did not see the deadly weapon until it sank into her hip up to the hilt. She screamed and fell to a knee. By the time Arthur reached Kay, the dark faery was on a horse, pounding across the ground toward the woods. Arthur knelt beside his friend, using his bare hands to pat out the flames that ate away at the man's hair and face.
"Do not touch the flames." Zela was behind him, her hand on his shoulder. She pulled him away gently and used her wind to kill the flames, then she knelt beside the knight to examine him.
Arthur reached over and wrapped his arms around Aiofe, pulling her into his lap. He brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Are you alright?"
She nodded feebly, sinking into his embrace and resting her head on his shoulder. "Is he going to survive?"
Zela looked up, her face drawn. She shook her head gently. "His insides are melting. He will not last more than a few minutes. I am sorry." She lay the knight's head on the grass and stood, walking to the porch where her brother lay crumpled on the ground.
The Iron Locket (The Risen King) Page 16