Guardian

by Sam Cheever

  “They told me they would leave the human realm alone if I helped them. They spoke of gaining supremacy over all of the magical realm and having the power to extinguish the human realm. I must admit they convinced me. I do believe they have an entity of great power behind them. Very great power.”

  I looked at Ian and he was scowling. I noticed he’d lowered his sword from Merlin’s neck.

  “Go on.” I told the wizard.

  “As you have already discerned, I gave them a spell to alter physical appearance, though I’m sure the effects were not pleasant as it is not one of my more stable spells.”

  Ian finally spoke up. “Did they tell you whom the spell was meant for?”

  Merlin glanced at him. “Nay. They did not, though I did try to worm it out of them.”

  “Pollux?” I offered.

  Ian frowned. “But why?”

  Merlin’s purple gaze narrowed. “Why do you name Pollux, Warrior Spirit?”

  Aubrie has demanded that we bring Pollux to him in exchange for Faerydae’s life.”

  “Then does it not make sense that, whomever the lucky recipient of the spells was, it was not Pollux? For if he’d changed appearance he would no longer be recognized as Pollux.”

  I frowned. Well, yeah, if you wanted to look at it logically.

  “And then, there is of course the second spell.” The old wizard had the good grace to look slightly ashamed.

  Ian swore. “What else did you give them stupid wizard?”

  The room pulsed with power and Merlin whipped a hand toward Ian, wrapping it around his throat with blurring speed. Ian lifted his sword and Merlin jerked his head in that direction. From his eyes a narrow band of purple shot toward the sword and ripped it out of Ian’s hand, flipping it away to clank against the wall. Ian’s face turned a deep, unhealthy red as he struggled to breathe.

  He dropped to his knees.

  “Let him go!” My hands were back on the book and I shot a jolt of power into it. As the power infused the book the moaning from within rose to a high pitched keening sound and smoke began to pour from its pages.

  Merlin released Ian and turned toward the book, a look of horror on his face.

  Before I could stop him, Ian reached out and sent a full jolt of his power into the unsuspecting wizard.

  Merlin flew off his feet and sailed across the room, hitting the wall beside me with terrible force and sliding bonelessly to the ground.

  I hurried over and knelt beside him, picking up one of his soft, long fingered hands and patting it. He looked up at me with dazed, white-blue eyes. The power was washed right out of them. “Are you all right?”

  He scowled at me. “The book…” his voice sounded old and weary, “have you harmed the book?”

  I glanced at the still smoking tome. Who the hell cared? “I don’t think so.” I pulled him to his feet and he wavered there, unsteady on his legs, as he shot Ian a glare.

  “Tell us, Merlin.” I spoke quickly, before Ian could interfere again. “Tell us about the last spell.”

  The old man turned rheumy, white eyes to me and licked his cracked lips. “It is one of my best. He’ll suffer no ill effects from the spell. But if it’s Pollux who was meant to use it, I can’t say the same for Zeus’s exclusion spell. Those spells are tenacious and ugly when crossed.”

  I frowned up at Ian.

  Fortunately he seemed to have regained his self control. “Tell us, old man. What have you done?”

  Merlin squinted in his direction. “Unwittingly of course…it seems I may have altered the dynamic on the Court at Olympus…caused a shift of power.” He smiled. “It sounds as if I’ve helped a jealous sibling defy the powers who’ve held him back all his life.”

  “What, Merlin? What kind of spell was it?”

  The rheumy eyes sharpened on my face and I thought his power must be coming back. “I gave them a spell to allow spiritual usurpation of another corporeal body.”

  I gasped, suddenly realizing what Aubrie and Dawnia were trying to do. A spell to allow a spirit to take over a physical body? Trojan Horse, jealous sibling, exclusion spell… “Oh my gods…Castor!”

  “Yes,” Merlin agreed. “The oustered brother gets his revenge…and a chance to finally become a god.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The Trojan Horse

  We landed on the grounds beside the lake, looking up at Faerydae’s castle. In the warm light of a waning day, the castle looked normal and untouched. No signs remained of the battle that had been waged there, aside from some trampled vegetation where the bodies used to lie.

  Ian glanced at me. “He won’t be holding her in the dungeons.”

  I nodded. “She’s probably with him.” I opened a travel layer and stepped into it, drawing Ian in with me.

  We entered the castle and looked around. Usually a busy place, the foyer where we stood was empty and silent.

  We moved toward Faerydae’s throne room. As we approached, the doors opened and a pale faced servant girl scurried out. I saw tear tracks on her cheeks as she slipped past.

  We slid through the doors before they closed.

  Aubrie sat on Faerydae’s throne with servant girls surrounding him. He was dressed in royal robes of gold and silver, a band of gold decorated with fat rubies adorned his head like a crown.

  Faerydae sat on the floor at his feet. Her face was mottled and filthy, covered in bruises. She held one arm protectively against her middle. Her gown was torn and dirty.

  I glanced at Ian. His eyes were spitting flames and his jaw was clenched. Suddenly I almost felt sorry for Aubrie.

  Almost.

  We stepped out of my travel layer and faced Aubrie. He didn’t look surprised. The arrogant elf fixed Ian with a smug gaze, ignoring me totally. “Look, my queen, an ill wind has blown some refuse into my castle.”

  Faerydae’s eyes stayed fixed on the floor in front of her. She looked as if she’d taken her mind to a safer place.

  I threw a look toward the serving girls around the throne and they stepped away, scurrying from the room with wide eyes.

  Ian’s aura built to orange and throbbed around me, making it hard to breathe. “Your reign of terror is over, elf. We know all about your plans and treachery.”

  Aubrie’s aura was cool, as if he had no reason to fear us. I was anxious to disabuse him of that notion. “You’re too late, half breed. The Trojan Horse is nestled happily amongst his victims as we speak.”

  Ian took a step toward the throne. “That’s impossible.”

  Aubrie shook his head. The rubies in his crown caught the light from the wall of windows and sparked, throwing red dots across Ian’s face. “Monad Warrior Keane was most helpful in informing the gods of my request for Pollux’s presence. In their arrogance, they wasted no time sending him to me.” Aubrie chuckled meanly. “He actually thought he could control the situation.”

  Ian lifted his sword and stepped toward Aubrie. Suddenly Ian was airborne, flying backwards, away from the elf. I stepped back into my wrinkle and moved toward Faerydae. Aubrie watched, laughing, as Ian fought against his invisible assailants.

  Shadow people. It had to be. I silently cursed King Rapha. I suspected he was playing all the odds in the current battle. Whether his daughter was in on that strategy was a question for another day.

  I pulled Faerydae into my travel layer. Aubrie barely glanced our way. Apparently he no longer cared what happened to the queen.

  I had to wonder why.

  I pulled her to her feet but Faerydae continued to stare at a spot on the floor that only her eyes could see. I shook her and spoke to her but she didn’t react in any way. I lifted her arm and examined the familiar band around her wrist.

  I’d known the bands could block magical ability. But I hadn’t known they could dull the mind as well.

  I glanced toward Ian and was gratified to see one shade on the floor bleeding. Ian was continuing to fight the other shade, although he couldn’t see him.

  I dragged F
aerydae to a spot behind the throne and pulled a velvet drape around her so she couldn’t be seen. Then I stepped out of my layer, determined to help Ian.

  Aubrie, apparently deciding Ian was in danger of escaping, had stepped from Faerydae’s throne and was pulling his sword. I slid my long knife from my belt and moved toward him.

  A large shadow fell across the vast throne room. I glanced toward the huge wall of windows overlooking the grounds of Faerydae’s kingdom.

  Something large was flying toward the window, blocking the sun from view.

  Ian fell to the ground, bleeding. I stepped toward him just as the windows smashed inward and Broud flew into the room.

  The huge Unicorn lowered his head as he flew over Ian, driving his horn into something I couldn’t see.

  A pain filled scream rent the air as the final shade flickered into sight with Broud’s horn embedded in his torso.

  The huge, black unicorn tossed his head with a roar and flung the Shade across the room, where he slid bonelessly across the floor and crashed against the doors. Then Broud fixed his shining golden-brown eyes on Aubrie, and snorted mightily.

  He lifted his forelegs into the air and screamed.

  Aubrie lifted his sword and ran toward the huge beast.

  Broud pounded his wings once, twice, and then flew off the ground, charging Aubrie with his horn, like an enormous bee intending to sting.

  Aubrie never had a chance.

  As he lifted his sword to pierce the mighty unicorn’s deep, black chest, Broud swung one mighty wing toward the elf and threw him halfway across the room. Aubrie skidded toward the far wall, scrambling to hold onto his sword, as Broud descended on him.

  Broud landed mere inches from Aubrie and, with a final scream of rage, lifted off the ground and brought his enormous hooves down on Aubrie’s head and torso.

  A horrible crunching sound announced the end of Aubrie.

  I ran to Ian and helped him to his feet. He was bleeding from several wounds but none of them seemed serious. I helped him heal them as best I could.

  When I turned back around, I found Broud nuzzling the curtains where I’d left Faerydae.

  I looked at Ian. “She’s got one of those bands on her wrist.”

  He nodded and strode toward Broud. Placing a soothing hand on the beast’s mighty, black shoulder, Ian knelt toward Faerydae.

  The queen seemed totally unaware of her beloved friend’s presence.

  Broud turned a sad, brown eye toward Ian.

  “I’ll see what I can do, friend.”

  Ian placed his hands around the band and his aura flared brightly. The iron band clicked and opened into his hands.

  Ian threw it across the room.

  Faerydae continued to stare blankly. He placed a hand on her forehead and sent his power into her again. Shaking his head he stood up. He looked at me, studiously avoiding Broud’s hopeful gaze. “He’s done something to her mind. There’s a…block of some kind there.”

  I frowned. “That’s why he didn’t care if I saved her. He knew she would be no threat to him in her current state.”

  Broud threw back his head and screamed again, flapping his mighty wings in anger. I stepped away, but Ian reached a hand to touch the unicorn’s heaving sides. “The Brotherhood, Broud. You must take her to them. If anyone can help her it is the Grigory.”

  The angry golden light died from Broud’s eye and he lowered his head in agreement. Ian lifted Faerydae onto Broud’s wide back and twined thick strands of his mane around her stiff fingers. “Fly straight and true, my friend. She depends on you.”

  Broud lowered his head again and turned toward the windows. We watched as he took to the air, turning toward the mountain ridge and the monks’ stronghold as he cleared the castle.

  Then I turned to Ian. “To Olympus?”

  He reached for my hand, sighing. “To Olympus. We have a Trojan Horse to disembowel.”

  ~ ~*~ ~

  The gods were in session in the Building of Justice when we arrived. The double, golden doors were closed and two guards stood in front of them. Their eyes were locked on the far wall as we approached. They didn’t acknowledge our presence in any way.

  I stopped in front of one and Ian stopped in front of the other. We stared at them for a moment and got no reaction. Finally I said. “We need to go in there.”

  The one in front of me acted as if I hadn’t spoken.

  Ian’s aura flared and the second guard gasped, his bright blue eyes turning toward me. A look of abject love filled his face. He dropped to one knee before me. “Nuria, Warrior Monad, how may I serve you?”

  I blinked and turned to glare at Ian. “Open the door and let us into the chamber.”

  The guard nodded and stood, reaching for the door knob. The second guard laid his sword across the doors, stepping into the first guard’s space. “Nay. What ails ye, Michael? Zeus will flay ye alive.”

  The unfortunate Michael lifted his sword and met the other guard’s with a clang of steel against steel. “Step away, Thor.”

  Thor’s face darkened and he pushed back hard with his sword. “Ass! Can’t ye see they’ve done something to ye?”

  Michael flexed his massive arm and Thor suddenly found himself and his sword repelled. “Ye call me a dupe!”

  Thor frowned. “Nay, I call ye an ass!”

  Michael lifted his sword, his bright blue gaze darkening to resemble the seas in the midst of a roiling storm. “Ye’ll pay for that!”

  And they were off. The sound of clanging swords soon filled the beautiful marble entranceway, followed by grunts of pain and effort. I watched the two guards dance away from us with my mouth hanging open.

  “Are you coming?”

  I turned to find Ian holding the door open. Shaking my head in disbelief, I slid into the Council Chambers before him.

  Twelve sets of eyes judged our entrance into the Chambers. Twelve sets of eyes registering a variety of emotions from anger to horror to surprise.

  Not one set of eyes was conveying welcome.

  I bowed low to the twelve gods seated behind the long table. “Your majesties, I apologize for the interruption, but I have news that you must hear immediately.”

  That was when I felt Ian’s aura flaring at my back. A breath later I heard his sword leaving its scabbard. I stood up and looked across the room, into the grinning face of Castor.

  A.K.A Pollux.

  “Welcome Nuria, Warrior Monad. You’re just in time.”

  I glanced at Zeus and returned my gaze to Castor, “In time for what?”

  Zeus responded before Castor could. “Pollux has been elected to serve as Guardian of Olympus.”

  I looked at Castor and he smiled. I noted the gray pallor of his face and the fine sheen of sweat across his brow. Glancing down, I saw that his hands were shaking noticeably. Apparently the inhabitation spell was not making Castor comfortable in his brother’s body.

  I fully intended to help him with that.

  I turned to Zeus. “Your majesty, I have news of Castor.”

  Zeus frowned. “You have interrupted this council to give us news of a mortal?”

  “Not exactly mortal, sir. He shares immortality with his brother.”

  Zeus and the rest of the Council turned to stare at Ian. He lifted his chin under their derisive scrutiny. “Who is this creature you have brought before us, Warrior Monad?”

  I took a step backward to stand beside Ian. “This is the man you sent me to Earth to find, majesty.”

  Zeus’ eyebrows lifted. “The human? You brought a human before the Council?” Zeus’ knuckles whitened on his gavel.

  Aphrodite sat forward, her perfect features folding into a frown as she looked upon me. “Were you not instructed to kill this creature?”

  I felt Ian tense beside me. His aura flickered once before he pulled it back under control.

  I didn’t even try to defend myself on that point. It didn’t matter anymore. “Ian Lavelle is not a human. He’s part elf and part f
aery.”

  Murmurs erupted down the Council table. The twelve gods and goddesses seated there appeared intrigued by this information.

  Hades frowned. “Prophecy speaks of such a creature.”

  Poseidon nodded. “Indeed, his influence spans the magical world. He is expected to do great things.”

  I took a deep breath. Ian, at least would be safe from the Council. Now to attack the more pressing problem. I stepped forward again, sweeping my gaze to address the entire Council. “Majesties, Ian Lavelle and I have discovered a plot to take over Olympus.”

  A sharp bark of laughter caused all eyes to turn to Castor. “That’s ludicrous. This Council has withstood a millennia of attempts to usurp its power. How would this plot be accomplished?”

  I stared at him for a long moment, noting the way he jerked and twitched and wondering that the other gods didn’t notice. “As you well know, majesty…” I lowered my head in respect to poor Pollux, who was buried under his brother’s soul-spell, “spells can be used to obscure motives and mask perfidy.”

  Zeus’s patience, never a snake with a long tail at the best of times, ran out at that moment. “ENOUGH!”

  His gavel met the Council table three times in quick succession. The sound filled the Chambers, bouncing off the marble walls to reverberate against our ear drums for a full two seconds once he’d stopped.

  I gritted my teeth and noticed that a few of the gods and goddesses grimaced.

  Zeus’ booming voice was little better than the sound of his gavel.

  “You were sent to Earth to discover the form and figure of a plot, Nuria Monad Warrior. Did you do so?”

  I pulled myself up to my full height and faced him. “I did.”

  “Speak of that then, since you have burst upon us unannounced and interrupted the Council’s business.”

  I glanced at Castor. “That is what I’m trying to do, majesty.”

  Zeus lifted one eyebrow and the gavel and I held up a hand to stop him. “Let me explain, majesty. From the beginning.”

  The gavel lowered but Zeus’ hand remained affixed to its well worn handle.

  “Upon locating Mr. Lavelle, we traveled to speak with Queen Tana. I learned that Tana had already engaged Mr. Lavelle to discover what he could about the plot I was constrained to investigate. Once there, I managed to impress upon Mr. Lavelle the importance of working together to discover what we could about the plot.” Ian snorted softly at this. Remembering how I’d drugged him with the Watcher’s potion my cheeks turned pink. But I ploughed on. “We traveled from Tana’s lands and attended one of the meetings.”