“I’ll stand in his stead.”
Lluava hadn’t expected Apex’s gruff voice. The huntsman walked into her room, his eyes flashing fiercely.
Forgetting the others’ presence, she asked, “Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be with Selene? Waiting for her in her chambers?”
“No. To battle is my purpose. War is my calling,” affirmed the huntsman. “The time for masquerading is over.”
Lluava was still baffled. “Masquerading? What do you mean?”
Apex looked at her as if he expected her to answer her own questions. “I was never under Selene’s influence. Her intentions were plain from the start. I knew what she wanted to do to me, what she thought she was able to do with me. Fortunately, Luka expressed interest in helping with this charade almost as soon as I was brought back to the castle. He made it appear as if I was under his sister’s spell.” The ends of Apex’s lips curled in pleasure. “That way, there was no doubt whose side I was on or who I was working for. As long as Yena saw me as Selene’s puppet, she never once questioned my loyalty.”
Lluava’s heart began to beat rapidly. She hoped no one else sensed it. “Luka helped you? Why?”
“You have a way with people. You make them like you. They seem to want to follow you in whatever you undertake. Luka is no exception.”
For a long moment, Apex and Lluava stared at one another. Their connection was only broken when Talos inquired, “Why are we all here, Lluava?”
Pulling herself back to the matter at hand, she explained the current attempt to rescue Ambassador Alcove and bring him to the castle. Once done, she was left with unhappy faces.
Talos began, “You sent men, Elysians, on a suicide mission. Knowingly.”
Suddenly, the wrong she had committed overwhelmed her. “Yes.”
“How could you?” Talos asked. “They were common people who knew nothing of war. They survived one tragedy only to be killed in another.”
“I did what I believed was right,” Lluava explained, though her words turned to ashes in her mouth. They echoed the words Selene had spoken earlier that evening. “Alcove must be brought here. He is our best chance to send the Raiders home.”
Her comrades looked skeptical, so Lluava tried a new approach. “Think about this. Alcove has been stripped of his command and his rights, yet instead of killing him, the Raiders have kept him alive. Their ambassador has become their prisoner. Why? Because he has an “affinity” for the Theriomorph race. And regardless of their reason for imprisoning him, he has worked alongside the Berserker Legion. He has valuable information about those brutes and more. There is also a chance that if the water source is poisoned, he will die as well. I cannot allow that.”
“Would that be the worst thing?” Yamir asked, unafraid to speak his mind.
“Do you really believe the poison will destroy the entire army? If the plan fails, then what? The enemy will surely be enraged and attack us. You may question my reasoning, but please try to understand. Something, whether instinct or the divine, has been telling me to rescue Alcove. I must do this, for I know, I absolutely know, that it is right.”
Everyone but Apex had taken a seat. “I honestly don’t give a rat’s ass about Alcove,” he said. “I don’t care if the poison works or the humans are slaughtered. I’m just ready to get out of this hellhole and stretch my legs. Ullr’s Fangs have been starved for too long.”
“Talos? Yamir?” Lluava looked at her oldest friends. “Will you join me on yet another preposterous mission?” Though she tried to sound playful, her voice was full of concern for all that could go wrong.
“If your strategies made sense, I would doubt whether they’d work,” Yamir said with a faint smile. “Let’s go kill some Raiders.”
“I agree with the clan-beast,” Aquila asserted proudly.
The group turned to look at Talos. The young soldier appeared drained of energy and lacked the enthusiasm of his spiky-haired friend. “I cannot condone your recent actions. Lives were lost. Good lives. But I wish to prevent others from meeting the same fate. I will join you, Lluava. My sword is yours, but never ask this of me again.”
Onyx, who had been slumbering on his perch, suddenly awoke. Without vocalizing, he fluttered about the room, then swooped into Lluava’s bedchamber and disappeared.
Derrick struggled painfully to his feet. Looking about, he said, “Since I can be of no service this time, I will leave you to plan. It’s best that I not know, so that if I am asked, my lie will be genuine.”
“Thank you, Derrick. Recover swiftly,” Lluava said as he hobbled to the door. Yet as the soldier opened it, he froze mid-step.
Another figure blocked his way. Ammit’s massive presence caused Derrick to stumble back. Dressed in a gray-green Endun military uniform with his serrated scimitar dangling from its scabbard, Yena’s thug was ready for blood. Had they been caught before they could even try to save Alcove?
Striding past her bodyguard with a presence that matched his, Yena emerged from the darkened hall. Lluava’s forehead began to bead with sweat.
Bowing low, Yamir inquired, “What brings the pleasure of your presence, High Priestess?”
Yena’s voice filled the room. “It seems, Lluava, that you were correct on at least one count: the visions have changed. The great Crocotta has shown me your intentions.”
It was as Lluava had feared. They were undone. All they could do was await Yena’s verdict.
Without acknowledging Derrick, the high priestess spoke. “So, the five of you wish to rescue the Ocean Men’s ambassador?”
Lluava spoke for the group, “Yes, High Priestess.”
“And you believe that this is the will of the gods?”
“Yes.”
Yena’s ghostly eyes softened. “Then I will send Ammit with you. In return, the nomad, Aquila, will be stationed on the castle rampart.”
Had she heard right? “You’ll allow Aquila to fight? You’ll allow us to fight?”
“I will not stand in the way of the gods’ will. As for the nomad, what better vantage point for an eagle’s eye than from above? He says he can wield a god’s weapon. Let him prove it.”
Although Lluava could hear her friends readying themselves behind her, she had one last question. “Have you seen what has happened to the rest of our prisoners, High Priestess?”
“Crocotta has chosen to keep her eyes on you and you alone. I have ordered one tunnel to be opened for your departure. Achieve the gods’ will, Lluava, Incarn of Theri.”
***
With Yena’s blessing, the group made for the entrance to old Rhadamanthus without further hindrance. When Aquila parted from them to climb the stairs of the outer wall, Ammit gave him a spyglass. The others remained quiet as the nomad departed. Their silence continued during the remainder of their trek. Though they were grudgingly grateful for Ammit’s support, the Outlander’s presence stifled any friendly conversation.
As they approached the temple, Lluava saw Talos glance toward a cluster of town folk. With a small nod, he touched his chest with one hand in a sign of affection. Was Rosalyn there? Did she realize what was happening? Lluava knew her friend would choose to remain behind and cover for Talos’s absence. Yet now that there was no need for secrecy, would the raven-haired woman regret her decision?
Once they reached the temple’s underground labyrinth and entered the tunnel, it took them another hour to reach the end of the newly made shaft. A well-camouflaged trapdoor opened inside a scrubby patch of forest. One by one, they emerged.
A groan far too loud for their liking was heard as the entrance was sealed from within by those who remained to defend the city. With the ominous presence of the capital behind them, the small party made for the Raiders’ camp. Their varied military training enabled them to approach far more stealthily than the unfortunate Elysians.
Ammit signaled a halt with his raised arm. After peering through his spyglass, he passed the device to Lluava and pointed ahead. A human corpse bristling with arrows
came into focus. Not far away, a second man had succumbed to the same fate. Suddenly, she wanted to vomit. These men had died on a mission she should have undertaken herself.
Aware of the large Outlander’s presence next to her, the young woman forced herself to keep moving. The group made a wide arc around the enemy’s camp, for they planned to penetrate it at a location far from the tunnel entrance.
Cautiously determined, Apex approached her. “The deception was never meant to hurt you.”
She knew he was referring to Luka’s illusion, which had tricked Selene into believing she controlled Apex. Yet Lluava had been living at Cronus for a month, and Apex had never tried to tell her the truth. He had continued the charade despite knowing how much it pained her.
Her lip curled over an unusually pointed canine tooth. “I’m sure it was a terrible experience bedding Selene, Incarn of lust and seduction,” she sneered.
“I had no reason to believe that you would return,” he stated gruffly. “How was I to know?”
“She’s going to be furious when she realizes what you did,” Lluava pointed out. She wanted him to apologize for his actions, maybe even regret his choices.
“Let her be,” Apex huffed. “There is no more time for games or deception. We must fight this war, you and I.”
“Oh, I will fight. I have not stopped doing so since this cursed war began. And I will do everything in my power to see that the rightful ruler reclaims this kingdom.”
Apex allowed Lluava to take the lead as he dropped back among the others.
For the first time in months, Lluava saw the Raiders’ encampment. To say that they had been busy would have been a vast understatement. The earth had been stripped bare of the ancient forest. A twelve-foot-high stockade of logs had been erected around the camp’s perimeter, protecting newly constructed buildings and barracks.
Ammit explained that to the best of his knowledge, there were only two points of entry, and both were obviously heavily guarded. They would have to find another way in.
With senses heightened, the group easily navigated the terrain with only the minuscule light from the cloud-covered sky. Torchlight spread a warm halo around the wooden barrier. Crouching just outside the luminous circle, the party reviewed their plan. Once it was set in motion, everyone would have to move quickly and without hesitation.
Over the tense silence, Lluava thought she heard a low rumble. Thunder? Or something more ominous just beyond the wall?
Handing his pouch of quills to Talos, Yamir gave the signal, and he, Ammit, and Talos rushed to the wall. Using the braced arms of the other two as steps, Yamir hoisted himself over the barrier. Talos quickly tossed over the quills, along with a knife. Then he and Ammit pressed themselves against the wall to avoid casting shadows in the firelight.
For several heart-wrenching moments, all they could hear was the scuffle of feet on the other side of the barrier. At last, the thick cords that bound the logs together moved. Lluava watched them closely—every twitch, every moment when all seemed still. Finally, the cords slackened.
That was her sign. Shifting, she and Apex lunged at the wall. His massive, bronze-furred, dual form matched her striped feline form in power and strength. The Yorrick wolverine’s metallic muzzle slammed into the logs just moments before the tigress’s gilded claws bit into the bark. Heaving with all their might, the loosened logs began to list inward. Soon the incline of the wood formed an ideal ramp, and the two beasts, followed by the other two Theriomorphs, breached the enemy’s lair.
Several bodies lay scattered nearby with quills protruding from throat or temple. Yamir was nowhere in sight; only his knife lay discarded on the heavily trodden ground. Lluava gestured at the blade. Talos, sword in hand, collected the knife and tucked it into his belt. Their friend seemed to have disappeared without a trace.
Cursing under her breath, Lluava was both furious and worried about her spiky-haired friend. Yamir was supposed to have waited for them. Had he been captured? Or had he rushed off due to some temperamental lapse in judgment?
They could not afford to wait. Searching for Yamir would ruin their chance to retrieve Alcove. They forged ahead, hoping only that their friend would meet up with them later during the mission. They could not risk being discovered.
Shouts erupted. Too late.
Some of the Raiders must have stumbled upon Yamir’s carnage. Before anything could be done, a number of sea brutes charged. Roused from bed and therefore lacking armor, they nonetheless outnumbered Lluava and her companions ten to one.
Above, a golden flash briefly illuminated the scene. A drop of moisture landed on Lluava’s muzzle.
Ammit swung his scimitar; the curved blade lashed out as the enemy hesitated before him. “Attack!” he screamed, and the shouts of men and beasts merged into one horrendous cacophony.
Another golden flash from above. This time it ended with a noise even louder than the yells from the battle. Lluava, clawing at a Raider, could not afford to risk an upward glance. The smell of charred flesh tickled her nose.
Suddenly, the heavy clouds burst open. Torrential rain poured down, blurring everyone’s sight. A third flash of light was followed by a thunderous roar. Where the lightning struck, a dozen or so men were blasted into the air. The strange explosion elicited more cries from the harried sea brutes.
Another flash, and another, each followed by a cracking boom that flung men into the sky like shrapnel. The electrical currents pulsing through the air caused Lluava’s fur to stand on end. Looking in the direction of Cronus, the tigress saw a new flash of light arc up from the castle’s wall to explode upon the earth inside the encampment.
“Gods be good,” Apex snarled as he, too, stared at the source. “That isn’t lightning. Those are Giahem’s Talons.”
A streak of gold impaled the dark clouds before beginning its descent. Lluava sensed its point of impact before it occurred.
“Run!” she roared.
Then the whole world lit up in an explosion of scorching light.
Chapter 25
Úlfhéðinn
The crackling air told Lluava she was still alive. Had she fallen, or had the force of the Talon’s explosions thrown her backward? Blinking to rid her eyes of the bright, unrecognizable shapes blurring her vision, she tried to assess the situation around her. The entire camp had awoken. Like a colony of ants disturbed by an errant footfall, the Raiders charged about angrily. Or was it fearfully?
Sounds were oddly muffled, as if blankets had been thrown over the mouths of the speakers. Sheets of rain blurred sight. Mud clung to clothes, hindering speed. Nearby, Apex clawed at a fallen marauder.
Standing up, Lluava realized she had shifted into her human form. Talos was running toward her shouting something, but she couldn’t make out the words. Suddenly, the babble of voices took form and rushed toward her.
“Aquila’s making a path for us,” Talos declared, pointing to a road paved with charred flesh and blackened earth.
“Do you think he has spotted Alcove?”
Lluava’s question remained unanswered, for in the next moment, Ammit was shouting, “Go! Go! Go!”
The Raiders regrouped quickly, though they were much more cautious. Every so often, another crashing boom rang out. This time, the results were tamer. Real lightning was striking.
Though Aquila would never intentionally kill one of their own party, nature was not so kind. Ammit, Talos, and Lluava raced toward the debris-strewn trail, while Apex slew any Raider who got too close.
Lluava paid no attention to the massive beast charging beside her; she already knew that Ullr was controlling Apex. She could sense his change, his power, his raw hunger. The Yorrick wolverine was perfectly attuned to the enemy, swiftly consuming life after life without a glimmer of fear or a sense of mortality. Ullr and Incarn were one.
Soon they reached the end of the track. Despite Apex’s fearsome ability, they were no match for the immense opposition they faced. The Raiders converged upon them in a
furious attempt to slay those who had dared to infiltrate their camp. Silhouettes of an entire armory of weapons loomed up with each flash of lightning.
What now? Lluava wondered, refusing to allow her dread to control her. Gripping Issaura’s Claws tightly, she positioned the weapons in the most threatening way. The thing inside her stirred. “I’m ready!” she shouted to the enemy. “Come on!”
Another explosion. This one opened a path off to the side.
“Go!” Ammit ordered as he swung his scimitar, sending beads of blood through the rainfall. “Get your man!”
Understanding what he meant to do, Lluava and Talos hurried down the path, leaving the Outlander to kill as many marauders as possible. A flash of lightning illumined a fallen tree trunk with one end of a chain affixed to the wood and the other tethering a battered figure. The captive lay face down in the mud. Quickly turning the body over, Lluava looked at the shell of the man she had once known. Alcove, severely weakened, moaned pitifully.
“Get him up,” Lluava ordered Talos. “I need to break his shackles.”
As mighty as Issaura’s Claws were, they could not slice through the thick iron. Instead, she carved into the wooden weight. The log splintered and soon released its grip on the chain.
Talos attempted to revive Alcove, but the frail ambassador was clearly disoriented from Aquila’s last shot. Helping the man to his feet, the young soldier said, “We must keep moving. Other Raiders will certainly arrive soon.”
Only half aware, Alcove struggled forward, but the heavy chain dragged in the mud, slowing him down. As Lluava shifted, she told Talos, “Get him onto my back. I can carry him to safety.”
It took a few moments to position Alcove along the tigress’s spine. For a moment, Lluava questioned whether the weight might be too much after all. Then she and Talos made for the entry point, their only hope of escape. Her friend acted as her personal guard, allowing Lluava to concentrate on carrying Alcove. Each time the ambassador or the chain slipped, she desperately readjusted them to prevent her precious cargo from falling off.
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