by Vance Huxley
“Come on Effy, stop chattering. Your friends are confused.” Pendragon ignored the happy smile that answered him, his whole attention on Abel, Ferryl, Kelis, Rob and Jenny. “Before any of you do anything unfortunate, I already have some of your friends on tethers.” A scream sounded from inside the house. “That’s the one called Justin, which will keep that little spitfire of a sister behaving herself. She’ll take a tether eventually, if I hurt him enough. Would you like to hear five screams? More?”
“How? You can’t force tethers past the ward.” Abel turned to shout a warning to Shannon, but she’d stopped on the driveway and was climbing out of the minibus. She had her hands up, because a man wearing some sort of security uniform pointed a pistol at her.
“All voluntary. I gave Justin a choice. He could accept the tether or I’d force one on his sister and he could watch her die.” Pendragon pointed towards Effy, without taking his eyes off the group of five horrified teenagers. “I threatened to do the same to Effy, so Shawn and Frederick let me put tethers on them as well. Threatening some of the others gave me more volunteers, including Una and Petra. Effy told me which weak ones to threaten and which to tether, the strongest ones most likely to cause trouble. That includes all the ones who can shield, apart from Rachel and you five.”
As Abel wondered why Pendragon didn’t know Shannon could shield, Ferryl took his hand. “He used a tether just before that scream, so that part is true.”
“I saw the tether. Sorcerer bop?” Zephyr didn’t sound keen. “He has a shield, held close to him.”
Ferryl’s hand squeezed. “He has a shield. I have one ready to snap around us both. Ask what he wants.”
“What do you want?”
“An army. Your trainees to be exact, and you can’t stop me. Your sorceress fooled Redwolf, but not me. I investigated, and none of the older sorceresses have disappeared from Germany recently so she really is young. Her father was a warlock, so she’s not even properly trained.” The sorcerer gave a big, expansive smile and turned a little to look at Ferryl. “Redwolf will be very annoyed. I might hand you over if he pays enough, once you are tethered.”
“No!” Abel braced himself but Pendragon just laughed.
“In that case she dies. Though I want her dealt with before I try to tether you, because I’m wary about the one in your tattoo. Effy and Natalie tell me you bound a sorceress. Since she must be a bound shade, she won’t have enough magic to fight me but she might be troublesome. If I see any sign of her, I’ll kill one of your friends inside. A young lady.” Pendragon gestured towards Claris. “I brought her out here to stop any heroics. You have a soft spot for pretty girls and I’m sure you don’t want to watch her burned.” His eyes tracked to Rob. “Your young lady is here, Kathy, and very confused because she hasn’t seen magic before. I’ve got thirty of your friends in the lounge, all sat on their hands. If they move, my apprentices will burn one.”
“I told you magic made us special. My new master will let me boss who I like, and he’ll teach me the fire glyph.” Natalie poked at Claris. “I’m not like this fool, afraid of magic. I told him everyone at school who can shield, and about your sorceress, so I get a reward. I asked for that Rachel on a tether so she can make me stronger and burn who I tell her to. Let’s see how she likes that!”
“Calm down, dear, or I might have to teach you manners.” Pendragon shook his head in mock despair. “Youngsters today. Enough of the chatter, time for decisions. I’ve had to rush this, borrow help from other sources, because you started teaching them all to shield. Though a shield is useless if you care too much about your friends. I want two of you young ladies to come over here and kneel. I’ll tether both, which will keep the rest of you from shielding or fighting when we go inside.”
“In your dreams!” Kelis raised her hand, a glyph swirling. She hesitated as a cacophony of screaming came from inside the house.
“Zephyr might break those tethers, if we keep Pendragon occupied.” Ferryl paused for a reply, then realised Abel couldn’t without letting Zephyr connect. “We worked on the ones to the bird, remember? Mazzlement broke the link to the watcher at the school, which helped us to work it out because all tethers are basically the same. We believe we have the key to Pendragon’s version, if Zephyr has time to work?”
“Can you do that, Zephyr? You’ll have to get out of my arm and into the house without being noticed.” Abel raised his voice. “All right, we get the message. Stop it.” The screams stopped.
“No, Abel, you can’t agree. Once he gets a tether on us he can make us do what he likes.” Kelis glared at Pendragon. “I’ll die first.”
“Going now.” Abel daren’t even glance towards his arm but he felt the link part.
“He can’t tether us all, because some of us won’t allow it. He’s trying to find out who’ll agree by threatening the weakest. He just told us that’s how he tethered the others.” Abel turned his full attention on Claris, trying to look and sound apologetic. “I’m sorry, Claris. Some of the monsters are human.”
“You can’t stop him?” Claris looked horrified as her eyes tracked to Effy. “Or her?”
“I gave you the bat for monsters. It was the best I could do and it works on some.” Abel looked pointedly at Effy. She might have fooled them all to spy for Pendragon but he had a good idea of Effy’s magic skills. Even if she’d managed a shield, it wouldn’t be a good one.
Pendragon didn’t seem to realise Abel was winding Claris up. “Effy is a special case. She doesn’t need a tether, do you, my dear?”
The silly smile spread over Effy’s face again. “No, master. I have a special link.”
“The sort that can’t be seen. There’s no communication but she’s totally loyal, which makes her a perfect spy.” Ferryl’s little sigh probably wasn’t heard by anyone else. “It’s what I thought you’d done to Kelis.”
“Very special, and you’ve been a good girl. If you want that one as a maid, you can have her.” Pendragon’s voice sharpened and he glared at Kelis. “I’m waiting. Two women, now!” A scream echoed inside the house to punctuate the last word.
But Ferryl, not Kelis, answered him! “On two conditions. You don’t give me to Redwolf, or try to give me a link like Effy’s.” Before Abel could react, she continued but in his head. “When he’s distracted, hit him with everything. Rob has his hands behind his back and is building a glyph. Jenny has her shield up so she’s going to resist. You heard Kelis’s opinion. We need to distract him, keep him here while Zephyr works.” Ferryl let go of Abel’s hand and took a step forward. “You’ll find me more useful as a willing apprentice. I might be young, but I’m ambitious and I’ll bet I’m stronger than any of your other apprentices.” She straightened and her voice strengthened. “I’ll tell you how to get into Castle House?”
“No, Ferryl, don’t do that!” Abel let a glyph start up in his hand, but Ferryl laughed.
“My real name is Fay, as you know, and you really aren’t strong enough to stop me without using your bound slave.” She turned back to Pendragon. “Well, master? I like power and wealth, and Abel hasn’t got either now. His last lesson in sorceress politics.”
“Agreed. If you really are that strong, I wouldn’t let anyone else have you anyway. Come on then. If you accept the tether without a struggle, you can control a couple of the weaker ones in there. There’s too many for me to manage on my own.” The sorcerer smiled triumphantly as Ferryl walked towards him. “I’ll just make sure we aren’t interrupted.” The door opened and two more security men came out and stood on the front step, pistols in their hands. Abel assumed Pendragon used a link to one of his apprentices to send them but without either Ferryl or Zephyr he already felt half blind. He’d relied on their ability to see magic, and spooky-phone, too much.
“You can’t let her.” Rob muttered very quietly but Pendragon’s eyes flicked to him so he’d heard.
“I can’t stop her, Rob.” Abel put all the bitterness he could into his voice. “When it’s
your turn, Claris, let them tether you. Don’t resist. It’s all right, it won’t be that bad, no worse than the leech.” Abel felt mean when he saw the horror rising in Claris’s eyes but he needed a diversion, any sort of diversion. He also saw both Kelis and Jenny stiffen. They both knew what Claris thought about the blood leech, so hopefully they’d be ready for trouble. “You don’t have to do this, Ferryl. We could take him.”
“Don’t be a fool, Abel. He’s a proper sorcerer, not like those two.” Ferryl gestured towards Effy and Natalie. “I doubt they could manage a shield between them, and Natalie never got past learning wind. I could take both of them with that baseball bat.” She knelt in front of Pendragon. “Ready, master.”
“No foolishness, no suddenly casting a glyph or shield. I am only reducing the shield on my palm, so if you try anything it will bounce. Then I will force the tether until you submit or die.” Pendragon reached out towards Ferryl’s shoulder but watched Abel, a glyph swirling in his free hand. Abel activated his shield, slowly extending it. He hoped it would slow up whatever Pendragon threw.
The double flash and ear-splitting crack caught him totally by surprise! Ferryl lurched to her feet, spinning away then going to her knees again, one arm in flames up past her elbow. Her skin, he realised, as the fur seeming disappeared and he saw charred fingers. Pendragon yelled in pain and surprise, staggering backwards with his shoulder blackened and torn open deep enough to show the bone. The glyph in his hand stuttered as he lost concentration so Abel threw one of his own, fire. It couldn’t break through, but Pendragon had his shield close to his body so the heat scorched his hand and he lost the glyph entirely. He staggered as Kelis’s windhammer smashed into his burned shoulder.
With a cry of mixed fear and rage, Claris did what Abel and then Ferryl had been trying to suggest, she snatched the baseball bat off a distracted Effy and swung. Abel had recognised that bat, Claris’s own special one inscribed with a magic-filled lead glyph. Effy, already turning towards Ferryl with a glyph forming, turned back towards Claris and raised her hand to cast. Too late, the redhead connected. If Effy hadn’t had a ward forming a natural shield she’d have been out cold.
Even with her protection Effy went down to one knee and lost her glyph, shaking her head as the flash ruined her vision. “Look out, Claris.” Jenny threw a quick wind glyph that staggered Natalie. Claris turned, snarled and swung again. Natalie abandoned her glyph and raised her arm to stop the bat, spinning away as her natural shield failed to absorb the physical impact.
Claris went after her, bat raised. “Burn me, you little shit?” The bat came down again. “Put a tether on Rachel?” Smack. “Come on then!” Smack. “Burn me!” Smack. Natalie reeled back until the house wall stopped her, but Claris didn’t let up. She’d lost it again, and she’d got a target. Behind her Effy recovered and formed a glyph, but a Windhammer from Jenny threw her forward onto her face. She rolled, throwing fire back, her eyes wide in shock as Jenny’s shield took it without any sign of strain. Effy rolled again, frantically, but Jenny’s Windhammer followed and smashed her flat again.
Meanwhile Abel and Kelis threw everything they had at Pendragon. He’d been rattled but now his shield pushed out into a globe, absorbing the attacks while his shoulder began to heal. Abel wondered why Rob wasn’t doing anything, but a series of explosions off to the side distracted him. A glance showed smoke and flame outlining Shannon’s shield as she pressed forward between two parked cars. Ahead of her the security guard kept firing as he backed away, but so far her shield held. A scream snagged Abel’s attention, but he dragged it back to forming another glyph to throw at Pendragon.
That meant Abel missed Rob’s contribution. The two security men in the doorway opened fire on Ferryl when she attacked Pendragon, though her shield stopped the bullets. They must have understood because both of them switched to aiming at Claris. As they hesitated, worried about hitting Effy or Natalie, both were yanked forward by reverse wind glyphs. One fell to his knees, hanging on to his gun, but the other screamed and let his go. He twisted, crying out again as he reached for his broken ankle. As he fell his foot had remained upright, held by a concrete clamp growing out of the step.
The first guard, on his hands and knees, looked up and raised his gun. Rob’s Windhammer knocked it aside and out of his hand, but he twisted to lunge after the weapon. He didn’t move far because the paving stone under his other hand had flowed up and around it, then set to lock him in place. The first guard lay clutching his ankle, but another loop of paving slab came up and around his forearm to make sure he stayed there. Rob could control his earth glyphs much better than the last time he’d needed them.
Abel could hear voices yelling inside the house, mixed with the shooting and the shouting outside, but so far nobody had started screaming. He threw another frantic glyph, trying to force Pendragon into keeping his shield up. The attacks weren’t working, the sorcerer had healed and Abel could see a vicious smile forming. Now that the sorcerer’s shield had spread out into a globe, the heat from the glyphs wasn’t reaching him. Ferryl recovered enough to throw a crystalline web at Pendragon’s shield, where the glittering strands clung and ground away with a high-pitched screeching noise. Sparks flew and Pendragon turned towards her, startled, his smile dying as he cast a slow, swirling cloud in reply. It flowed over Ferryl’s shield, then slipped and dripped to the floor which seemed to surprise the sorcerer.
“I should get in there and deal with the apprentices guarding the Taverners. Can you hold him, Abel?” As Ferryl asked, behind her Effy rolled over again and started to sit up.
Jenny brought both hands down, fisted together. This Windhammer came from above, flattening Effy as she let out a short, startled yelp. She lay still afterwards, spread-eagled on the grass while Jenny threw a fire glyph at Pendragon. “I’m on it now, Abel.” A bush produced a long sharp branch which shrivelled and burned as it hit the sorcerer’s shield.
“Me too.” Rob’s voice came as a relief, as did the chunk of hardened earth that shattered on Pendragon’s shield. “Go for it, Ferryl.”
“Just keep him off my back for a minute or two.” Ferryl turned to the house, now showing no sign of the burning except scorch marks on her leather top. As she moved past them she tapped the two security men, Rob’s victims. “Sleep.” Despite any wards, sparks flew as her glyph punched through their personal magic and both slumped. The door opened and an apprentice started coming out, hands lifting to cast. Ferryl’s red web wrapped around him too fast, clamping his arms back down to his sides. He staggered back, his shield sparking and scorching him as the mesh tightened and forced it into his skin.
Pendragon must have felt secure in his shield because he ignored Jenny, Abel, Rob and Kelis, looking straight at Ferryl’s back as he formed a big glyph with both hands. Abel heard Rob grunt with effort just as Pendragon cast the glyph, and it never reached its target. A wall of earth surged up in a curve that blocked the sorcerer from both Ferryl and the other four. Smoking chunks flew outwards as the glyph, a murky red with light blue flashes inside, hit the earth and disintegrated before it had chance to activate properly. Ferryl disappeared inside the house, the last Abel saw of her was a silver web spreading out ahead of her hand. The scream that followed wasn’t from the same direction as the captives.
The shooting around the cars had stopped, but Abel daren’t look because two spots of red appeared on the earth wall between him and Pendragon. “Aim there in three seconds. Give it all you’ve got. I’ll need a moment to recover.” The strain from lifting all that earth showed in Rob’s voice. Jenny glanced at Abel, pointing to the left glyph as her other hand dragged moisture into an ice spear. Abel built as hot a fire glyph as he could. Kelis kept moving her hands and seemed to be muttering to herself. The earth wall started to crack as the sorcerer hit it with something but just as Rob promised, on the count of three, two neat holes appeared.
Jenny hurled her ice at the startled face beyond, and as it shattered on the shield Abel’s fire
followed it. He hoped heat and cold, close together, would cause more stress. “Stickybangs!” Kelis screamed the nonsense with real feeling, venom really, and a cloud of small black somethings flew from her palms. They hit the shield before extending little legs that stuck and held them fast. Pendragon’s shield began to spark and glow around each one.
The rest of the earth wall crumbled, revealing Pendragon, so Abel hit the edge of the sorcerer’s shield, hoping the strength had been concentrated at the front. His fire swept around the curve, but had no real effect except to startle Claris. Natalie lay crumpled while Claris leant against the house wall with the bat dangling from one hand, still panting. The wash of heat, though not dangerous, brought her head around and her eyes fastened on Pendragon’s back. Her lips peeled back in sheer hatred and she ran towards the sorcerer, both hands swinging the baseball bat up and round.
Abel opened his mouth to warn her but too late, because the black things stuck to the shield exploded in a rapid series of crackling sounds. Claris would have never heard him over that so Abel threw another fire glyph where the series of explosions had left a bright red network of cracks. The cracks faded, though they’d brightened slightly as Abel’s glyph hit. “Do it again, Kelis.”
“Can’t. No time.” Kelis reverted to ice shards alternating with fire, maybe with the same idea as Abel, that she might stress the shield. Meanwhile, Claris connected. Pendragon turned at the loud bang, but didn’t cast the glyph. The baseball bat shattered and Claris staggered back then spun and fell, hugging her hands to her sides in pain. She came to her knees, looked up and started to crawl away from the fight as fast as possible. Pendragon cast again, at Kelis, and this swirling cloud of sticky stuff clung better than it had to Ferryl.
“Use slippy-glyph!” Abel cast the simple protection onto his own shield with one hand. With the other he threw a small fire glyph at the gunk, angled to glance off Kelis’s shield, and it burned off a wide swathe. Several more small fire glyphs flew from Jenny, clearing more and the rest dropped away. Pendragon had been building something else, which he cast at Abel. A series of long gleaming shapes streamed out, spinning and looping around each other. Abel braced himself, pouring magic into his shield. The first ones struck and spun, trying to drill in and he felt magic draining, but the rest of the storm were swept away by a stream of fire.