by Jamie Davis
Maria called for her comm officer. They would have enough time to bring reinforcements through a new series of portals at this rate. It was time to see who else could help.
“Get me York in New Amsterdam,” Maria said when the officer appeared.
Maria waited as a window was opened. Then Cleaver York appeared.
“Cleaver,” she said.
“Ms. DeSantos, what an unexpected pleasure … we’re trying to make sense of the news that the capital is under attack. It’s Kane’s news, of course, so who knows what to believe, but—”
“It’s true. We’re—”
Cleaver craned his neck trying to look past Maria for others. “I’m surprised Winnie didn’t think to include us. We’re only a few hours to the north.”
“It happened fast. And we didn’t want word getting out before it was too late.”
“Word about what?”
“Word about Winnie running off to face Kane on her own,” Maria answered.
“She what?” Cleaver shouted. “I hope you’ve caught up with her?”
Maria shook her head. “She had too big of a head start. We do have a team trying to catch up with her, but I don’t know if they’ll reach her in time.” Maria fixed Cleaver with a firm stare. “We need help, to keep Kane’s forces off balance and looking our way while Winnie sneaks up. We’ve managed to hold off their initial counter-attack and I’ve bought us five or six hours. But how soon can you send us a prayer?”
Cleaver pulled out his phone. “I’ll round up the crew and mobilize the New Amsterdam Volunteers. I’ve got two thousand armed volunteers ready to follow Winnie Durham anywhere. We can get there by daybreak if we’re moving within the hour.”
“That’s good news, Cleaver. Can you also reach out to Sico? See if he can bring what’s left of the Philly Militia?”
“Already on it. He’ll probably make it there faster than us. He’s been waiting for his chance. What about you? Need anything else?”
“Bring all the weapons and ammo you can carry. This is it. It’s Kane or us, for good.”
Cleaver shot her a savage grin then laughed aloud. “It’s about time.”
Maria nodded then closed the window. She looked at the screens.
Apparently, this was it: the beginning of the end.
CHAPTER 28
Danny and Victor crouched while Garraldi cast his spell, with Frannie and Bullock watching their backs from behind.
“What’s taking so long?” Victor asked.
“I only heard Cait talk about doing this once,” Garraldi said. “She learned the spell in the military. Even then she only used it once in basic chanter training.”
Danny turned his attention from the darkness to look back at Garraldi. The big man was hunched over, moving his hands in intricate circles. They were counting on this spell to track Winnie once they got on her trail.
More explosions roared in the distance. Danny wondered how the fighting was going. It had certainly distracted government forces away from their posts on this side of the city. They’d penetrated the defensive perimeter with barely any trouble at all.
Victor had led them this far using his connection to Winnie. She was somewhere on the western side of the city but that’s all they knew. Victor’s link wasn’t finely tuned enough to track her beyond a general direction. And thus, Garraldi’s spell.
“I’ve almost got it,” he said. “Just a few more adjustments.”
Garraldi pulled out a piece of clothing. Danny recognized it as one of Winnie’s tees. He’d retrieved it from their room for exactly this purpose. No one was sure if it would work, but it was the best that they had.
Garraldi placed the white tank top on the ground and passed his hands over it three times. On the final pass, the shirt burst into flames.
The sudden light blinded Danny’s vision. He cleared his eyes and the shirt was gone. “What’ve you done? That was the only shirt I brought.”
“It’s how the spell works. I need to concentrate. Don’t bother me.”
He leaned over and blew at the pile of ash laying where the shirt had been. The ashes floated in the air then turned to tiny golden pinpoints of light.
They fell to the ground then dimmed to darkness again.
“I think that does it,” Garraldi said. “Anyone in our group will now be able to see that faint trail of light, soon as any of us crosses her path.”
“What if someone else comes across the trail?” Danny asked.
“We’re the only ones who can see it, including you and Victor. I modified the spell to account for non-chanters.”
“Technically Victor’s a chanter too,” Danny said.
“I’m not a chanter, Danny,” Victor said, then turned to Garraldi. “You ready?”
Garraldi picked up his rifle and pack. “Ready when you are, Victor. You’re in charge of this little parade.”
“We’ll keep moving toward downtown. We’ll cross her path eventually. I’ll go first, then Garraldi, Danny, Frannie, and Bullock.” Victor looked back to Bullock. “Make sure no one sneaks up on us.”
Bullock nodded. That qualified as conversation for the giant. But what he lacked in verbal skills Bullock made up for in brute strength, in both magic and muscles.
Victor signaled for the group to move forward.
Danny turned and dropped into line behind Garraldi.
Frannie and Bullock followed right behind.
Danny’s eyes strained in the darkness, trying to see anything that looked like golden dust. He had to pay attention to his footing, trying to stay silent, while searching ahead and to the sides for any sign of Winnie’s passage.
After moving from building to building for about twenty minutes, Victor raised his hand for a halt. The group moved up and turned outward, all checking different points around their perimeter.
“Why’d you stop?” Danny whispered, scanning for danger.
“Something’s not right,” Victor said. “Another step and something’s screaming in my head. Garraldi, you see anything?”
“No, but I’m not sure that matters. Frannie, come up here and see if you can spot anything. You’ve got better eyes for hidden magic than the rest of us.”
Frannie slid past Garraldi to crouch beside Victor. Danny glanced over his shoulder to watch. She fluttered her eyes then squinted, peering across the street. “There.” She pointed. “It’s thin, but there’s a line of magic across the center of the next street.”
“I see … something; I’m not sure what,” Victor said. “It’s hard to focus on.”
“That’s because someone has inverted the magic to hide it,” Frannie said. “I think because it’s Fell, and not native to earth like Fae magic, the inversion doesn’t work as well.”
“What is it?” Danny couldn’t see anything.
Frannie said, “If I had to guess, I’d say it’s some sort of trap. We’ll keep our eyes open. I’ll bet there are more of them everywhere.”
“Makes sense,” Victor agreed. “Kane’s always been paranoid.”
“Good catch,” Garraldi said. “Any idea what it does, Frannie?”
Frannie squinted again. She looked left and right at the buildings across the way and pointed at two of them.
“When you cross the magical tripwire, fire shoots from those windows and fills the street with some sort of liquid flame. The magic is alien to me, so I don’t think I could replicate it but that’s what I think it does.”
“What if Winnie stumbles into one of these?” Danny was feeling frantic. “She can’t watch for everything.”
“That’s why we have to keep moving,” Victor said. “I think we know Winnie didn’t come this way. Let’s move to the side, work our way around. If we can’t, I’ll try my dispel powers to remove the trap.”
Everyone nodded. Victor pointed to their left and they all started moving.
Two hundred yards down the road, Victor stopped them. “Frannie, can you see an end to the tripwire?”
“No, it k
eeps going all the way down this street from what I can tell.”
Victor pursed his lips. “Maybe Winnie found a way across. Or maybe she circled around. We don’t have time to keep looking. Everyone stay here and be prepared to run if this fails.”
Danny crouched and waited. Victor slid the strap to his rifle over his head, rested it on his back, and took a few slow, cautious steps into the street until he was nearly at the center.
Victor knelt down and leaned forward, peering at something on the pavement. He reached out with a hand and made a scrubbing motion in the air above the road, like he was wiping a spill. He stopped, then he reached into his pocket and pulled out some coins. Curiously, he set a pair of coins in the street about two feet apart, then waved the group forward to join him.
Danny moved forward until he was standing next to Victor, just before the midpoint of the street. The others joined them.
“I’ve dispelled a section of the spell’s effect, I think.” Victor pointed to the two coins. I’ve marked the clear spot here. Walk between those coins. I’ll follow. And be careful. Frannie, you first.”
Frannie nodded. Then she stepped up to the gap between the coins and then across. Garraldi followed, then Bullock. Danny went next, and Victor was last, stopping only to retrieve the coins and return them to his pocket.
Something loud was approaching from the left. It sounded like a cross between a lion’s roar and a running circular saw. Danny had heard it before, back at Fort Brick.
Victor pointed to the building in front of them.
Frannie bounded up the steps and darted inside the front door.
Danny followed with the others close behind him.
A firefight would draw attention to their passage, so they had to be careful.
“Assume positions in that room at the windows,” Victor said, bringing up the rear and shutting the door behind him.
The building was divided into apartments. Victor pointed, then Danny opened a door.
It was already ajar, the interior a mess. Whoever lived here had trashed the place before leaving. Human or monster—who knew.
He walked up to the first of two windows facing the street and took cover where he could watch the front. Frannie and Garraldi assumed positions by the other window.
“Bullock, check the other rooms. See if there’s another exit,” Victor said, joining Danny by the first window.
Bullock disappeared into another apartment.
Something flashed by outside: Garbarians loping down the street. There were twelve of the poor souls—once people, now monsters living as minions for Kane. They shuffled when they ran, hunched with their massive swaying arms.
The last Garbarian stopped and stared at the street, right where they’d crossed the magical tripwire. He grunted.
The other Garbarians stopped. More grunts, then they were looking around, scanning the buildings on either side.
“Uh oh,” Victor said.
“Yeah,” Frannie agreed. “We need to get the hell out of here.”
Bullock returned and beckoned. “Come.”
Victor pointed to Danny. “Go.”
Danny hesitated, but the Garbarians outside were already moving towards the buildings in search of intruders. He followed Bullock from the room. Frannie and Garraldi were just behind him, with Victor in the rear.
Bullock led them through a hallway until they got to a kitchen with an open window looking out into a narrow fenced yard. Bullock pointed.
Danny scrambled through. It was a ten foot drop or so behind the building. He landed, moving out of the way to make room for the team. He checked for a gate or some other way out.
There, in the corner.
Working the latch, Danny opened the gate a crack and checked the alley behind the buildings. Nothing moved.
He stepped out into the alleyway and scanned both ways, his rifle ready.
Then Frannie and Garraldi were there, crouching in the gravel, waiting for Bullock and Victor. When they finally arrived an eternity later, the two of them were grinning like idiots.
“What?” Danny asked.
“Bullock wanted to leave our pursuers a gift,” Victor said.
Danny looked behind him, shielding his eyes as the entire building erupted in flames. Fire poured from every window.
From a third floor window, one of the creatures fell to the ground, wreathed in flame, writhing until it lay still forever.
Danny couldn’t turn away from the dying creature. Something had taken over his body, enjoying the pain and death before it.
He struggled, wresting control of his body back from whatever held him.
Victor tugged at his arm. “Come on! That’s going to draw attention. We have to keep moving.”
Danny nodded and fell back into line, stunned into silence.
They still had to find Winnie.
There was no time to worry about anything else.
Because without them, Winnie was all alone.
CHAPTER 29
A big building was on fire a few blocks behind Winnie.
She’d been close enough to hear the eruptions and shattering glass. Now she could see the building’s roof above the nearby apartments. The flames were quickly spreading, jumping from one rooftop to the next.
“Seelie,” Winnie whispered.
“We have to be careful, Winnie,” Seelie said, bobbing just above Winnie’s shoulder. “There are more patrols ahead. And I’ve had to disable two more traps. It’s getting harder to do. Each one is worse.”
“Let me look at the next one,” Winnie suggested. “I might be able to help you disable it.”
The traveled mostly in silence, the fairy flying about twenty yards ahead to scout for traps and patrols.
Winnie picked her way along carefully. The deeper they went into the city, the worse everything looked. That was strange. The Dusters hadn’t attacked them here—buildings should be more than empty shells and burned out husks. But so many had collapsed, blocking passage in giant, crumbled chunks. More than once, Winnie and Seelie had to backtrack and find a way around.
Some of the collapsed walls had lines of strange circular marks on the exteriors. When Winnie stopped to examine one, she saw that they had been somehow etched into the brick.
Something crashed. They spun around and a massive body heaved into view.
“We’re dead if we don’t hide,” Winnie whispered. “That’s a chimera.”
“Over here,” Seelie said, darting beneath a gap in the collapsed wall.
There was a basement stairwell covered by the section of wall. Winnie fell to all fours then shimmied into the gap and down into the stairwell.
Turning around, Winnie saw the chimera’s tentacles wrap a nearby building and pull itself toward the rooftop. As it climbed, the tentacles tore at sections of facade with every fresh purchase.
The chimera reached the rooftop and its bat-like wings flared out and flapped twice before the creature launched itself awkwardly into the air. The flapping wings lifted it skyward, leaving the partially collapsed building behind.
“I think we’ve stumbled into a nesting ground, Seelie We need to get somewhere safer.”
“But it’s the fastest way to downtown. And there aren’t any traps.”
“Who needs traps when you have chimeras,” Winnie said. “You can hide well enough to make it through. but I’m not tiny. And I can’t fly.”
Seelie looked back out toward the street then back at Winnie. “Follow me. I’ll get us somewhere safer.”
Seelie flew out from their hiding spot and hovered, watching for danger while Winnie moved the sword from her back to climb back through the gap.
She followed the fairy until they reached an area where the buildings were all still standing. Winnie felt her shoulders relax.
A chimera would be the death of her.
“Stop!” Seelie hissed. “There’s a trap right in front of you.”
Winnie froze, wanting to curse herself.
Sh
e’d barely been paying attention.
Winnie looked down, her eyes in the magical spectrum, and saw a fine web-like network of glowing red lines spread across the sidewalk. The trap stretched up the street for maybe thirty feet, starting inches from her leading foot.
Winnie backed away from the trap area, turning around to scan the area around her. The way back was safe.
“Thank you, Seelie,” Winnie said. “I wasn’t paying attention. We’ll have to go back to the last street and go around.”
Seelie nodded and headed back the way they came.
Then she stopped. And so did Winnie.
“What is it?” Winnie asked.
“Someone’s coming. A lot of someones. A patrol.”
“Damn,” Winnie said, looking around. “Here, in one of these buildings.”
She darted up the steps and opened the doors.
She took a step but her foot found nothing.
The building had no floor. Or any interior to speak of. It was only a shell.
A trap.
She fell about fifteen feet into the basement, into a net stretched across the pit. Its fibers had tiny hooks woven into them. They bit into her flesh and clothes, holding her screaming.
Seelie flew down to help her.
Winnie shouted, “No!”
Too late. The second half of the trap had been tripped.
Seelie landed in the first net, sending the second from the ceiling above.
The heavy netting struck the fairy, dragging her down into the lower net, trapping Seelie a few feet from Winnie.
An alarm bell screamed from somewhere above them.
Winnie struggled against her bonds, despite the hooks in her flesh.
She had to reach Excalibur.
Maybe she could cut them free before the creatures arrived to capture them, or whatever they did when they caught something.
But the more she struggled, the deeper the hooks.
She finally stopped, exhausted.
But it was too late.
The first Garbarian reached the door and looked inside. It vented a terrible, coughing laugh as it pointed at Winnie and Seelie caught in the trap.
Winnie closed her eyes and wished for a miracle.