by Meg Caddy
‘Not so arrogant now, are you, Kaebha?’ Cooper mocked. I closed my eyes.
Then, there was nothing but coolness in the back of my mind. There had never really been a decision in the matter, for me. I knew what to do.
Kaebha stirred.
‘Kill him.’ My voice was calm, cold. Barely my own. I set my jaw and straightened my shoulders, not removing my gaze from Cooper’s surprised face. ‘Go ahead and kill him.’ Forgive me. ‘He is nothing.’
I clenched my fists. I had come so far, and lost so much.
Cooper turned on his heel without a word, storming out of the cell. He despised being caught unawares. If he did not kill Lowell now, his bluff would be called and he would be weakened. If he finished my Wolf, he lost his leverage and power over me.
The cell door ground shut. The bolt slid across. Cooper’s footsteps echoed down the stone corridor for a few moments before I was left alone. I sank to the ground. The feeling I had gained through our soul-bond seeped away with agonising slowness, leaving my digits stiff and immobile. Kaebha shot through my veins like poison, hissing her malice. She knew the easiest option. Just allow Daeman to have his satisfaction. It was the less painful way. I could let my feelings sweep away; forget what I had recovered and rejoin Daeman Leldh and his people. I could be part of his triumph, witness his victory. It could be so easy for me. I had done it once before.
A sudden whiplash of emotion. Anger, pain, grief, humiliation. Before, but never again. I was not Kaebha. I was Lycaea. A waer. Bound to Lowell Sencha, even as he was to me.
I turned in the cell. Searched for anything I could use as a weapon. I would not lie down and die. I would not let them kill Lowell. Lowell Sencha, my Wolf, who had saved me from the river and brought me back from Kaebha.
I started to chant my mother’s name. I needed her now, more than I ever had. I could forgive her the years of neglect, and cruelty, and madness. I just wanted one deal from her. My voice rose in the silence of the cell, thrown back at me from the stone walls. The guards mocked me from the other side of the door. I ignored them.
‘Melana. Melana! Mother, I need you!’
My voice tore. A sob snarled in my chest, left me breathless. The silence robbed me of hope. With dull eyes, I stared at the shadows.
They started to move.
Lowell
I knew they were going to kill me.
I was strapped to a flat slab of stone, stripped to the waist. For a while I could not raise my pounding head; then when I managed it I wished I had not. The room about me was large and dim, lit by a few sparse candles. Gleaming weapons caught the lights and threw them back at me. The place reeked of blood and silver. I turned my head to one side, trying not to gag.
A man stood on each side of the slab. Cooper’s flawless skin glowed in the light as he sharpened a knife, blue eyes fixed on his work, clean and precise. An elegant man with a rotting heart. I wondered if he had ever been like Lycaea, torn between a normal life and these horrors. Whether he had ever doubted, or tried to break away. His blue eyes slid towards me, and my stomach clenched. It did not matter, I realised. He had no doubts now.
The man on my other side was more relaxed. He was not in uniform, but wore instead a casual shirt and breeches. He lounged against the edge of the slab, whistling as he flipped a knife and caught it. I knew him instantly for who he was and what he had done. He had ordered the deaths of hundreds of innocents. He had invaded a place of peace and murdered my people. He had nearly destroyed Lycaea.
Daeman Leldh smiled at me, and I found I could not smell him beneath the reek of silver.
I turned my eyes to the ceiling. If they were going to kill me, I would not give them the satisfaction of my despair. I took a slow breath. Lycaea lingered in the back of my mind, a pillar of strength in a world where everything was crashing down.
‘Kaebha told us to kill you,’ Cooper said in a low voice.
My voice was shockingly clear to my ears. ‘You’re going to kill me anyway.’
Leldh smiled. ‘Your name is Sencha, am I correct?’
He took my silence as confirmation.
‘I studied the waer for a long time, Sencha. I had good reason to. They rose up against the just rule of my people. Traitors, vagabonds. Mongrels.’ His voice remained pleasant, calm. ‘I have wanted to settle the odds for a long time now. This is just the beginning. My research unearthed several interesting facts. For example, the waer blood can be diluted by the ingestion of aconite. Much like silver, it prevents you from Shifting; unlike silver, it is permanent. I have learned the effects of silver on the waer, and how much individuals of various types can withstand. Yours is a fascinating race. But what I have found most intriguing is the soul-bond.’
He knew.
Cooper laughed aloud, moving at a nod from Leldh. He went over to the rack of weapons and withdrew one before pivoting to face his master.
‘Lord, may I?’ he asked. His voice almost cracked with anticipation. Daeman nodded, smiling, and Cooper strode out to the door. Daeman shot a fleeting look in my direction before returning to flipping the blade.
‘I am sure you know how it is with a soul-bond,’ he murmured. ‘How much we can hurt her by killing you. You give too much of yourself with it. I feel Kaebha should be here to witness your demise. After that, well. She will be at my disposal. And that can go so many interesting ways.’
If they killed me, she would be left in torment. And if she were made into Kaebha again… I gagged, choking for a moment as hot bile stung my throat. Daeman smiled.
He moved quickly. The knife was made of steel, not silver, but it was enough. I screamed. My legs kicked and jerked. Leldh drew the blade out and stabbed it into my shoulder. He was working his way across to my heart.
I believe he would have struck the fatal blow then and there, had not Cooper slammed into the room. His breathing was ragged, his face drained of colour.
‘She’s out,’ he gasped.
Leldh lowered his weapon. His golden eyes gleamed. ‘How?’
Cooper hesitated, unable to answer.
A terrible smile crossed Leldh’s features.
‘Oh, yes,’ he said. ‘Our Kaebha, and her beloved Watchers.’ He had forgotten me. He dropped the knife and went to the door. Cooper followed him. The door slammed behind them. My muscles eased and I tilted my head back on the stone. Not their Kaebha. My Lycaea.
‘For now. If she survives.’
The woman stood in the shadows of the room, one hand lifting her dark locks. Her rosy lips curled upwards, her skin white in the dim light of the candles. She was tall and beautiful, and she walked like a cat. I did not suffer a moment of doubt. In spite of the cunning beauty and the cruel smile, something in her sharp eyes reminded me of Lycaea. I knew, without question, that this was her mother. Melana. The Dealer.
As she leaned over me on the slab, one hand came to stroke my neck.
‘Poor boy,’ she crooned. I flinched at her touch. She moved her hand to where I was chained, whispering a quiet word. The chains dissolved in her hands, falling to sand on the floor. For a while I did not move, not wanting to risk it.
I found my voice. ‘Help her.’
She clicked her tongue against her teeth and took my arm. Her grip was surprisingly strong as she pulled me upright. Her fingers dug into my shoulders as she held them tight.
‘I already have,’ she replied, voice sharp. ‘Come. We need Hemanlok.’ She extended an imperious hand towards me. ‘Take it,’ she ordered, and for a moment I saw Lycaea in her expression. I accepted her hand, ignoring the pain in my arm. She threw her head back, her dark curls flowing away from her face as light surrounded us. I was unprepared for the jolt that accompanied this. Tingling sensations spread through my limbs and torso, a feeling as if I were being split in two. Then I hit the ground, hard.
For a moment my muscles were too tense to function; then I rolled over, my eyes still closed. The early morning sun warmed my skin and when I opened my eyes and sat up, it blinded me. It did not m
atter. I could hear everything. And my nose told me more than enough. I was out of Caerwyn.
‘Lowell!’
Moth wrapped her arms about me. I could smell her tears. I gasped for air. She rubbed my back, and rocked me. Dodge crouched on my other side, laughing.
‘I canna believe you’re alive!’ he exclaimed. ‘Luck of the Bonny Gods, lad!’
I looked around. We were outside of Caerwyn. She had taken me out of Caerwyn. I shuddered, fought the urge to vomit. Melana herself seemed unaffected by the travel. She stood a few feet away from us, talking to Hemanlok. The rest of the Own were gathered around us. We were in a rocky copse, surrounded and protected by stone ridges. I could smell the army. They were somewhere close. Mitri, Hywe, and Salvi were there with us.
‘What did they do to you?’ Moth whispered. Her hand was on my bloodied arm and shoulder.
I ignored her question. ‘Lycaea is gone from her cell, but it is only a matter of time before they find her.’ I jerked around to face Melana. ‘Why didn’t you bring her here?’
‘She only dealt to get you out,’ she drawled. ‘We needed a distraction, and she volunteered for the role.’
I twitched as Moth put her hand over my wound. She breathed a soft word, and sparks ran along her hands. The injuries flared, then went cold, then numbed. I looked away, not wanting to see her power weave my skin back together.
‘We need to attack now, then,’ Mitri said. ‘Boss, are we ready?’
‘Oh aye,’ Hemanlok replied. ‘We’re ready.’ He started to walk towards the edge of the copse, but Melana caught his shirt. She turned him to face her.
‘Lycaea kills Leldh,’ she said. ‘That was my deal with her. Not you. Not me. Lycaea kills him. Do you hear me, Hemanlok? I’ll not be thwarted in this. His blood, by her hand.’
He reached up to her neck and turned her head so as to whisper into her ear. She remained still as Hemanlok said something to her in low tones. When he drew back, she nodded sharply. He gave a wolfish grin and gripped her hand. Sparks flew about their fingers, sealing whatever bargain they had made.
‘Tell them to meet me on the rooftops,’ he said. Then he swept a hand about, to catch the attention of the Own. ‘You lot get ready, get armed. I’ll bring her back here first. As soon as we’re here, the army needs to start marching, so get to the officers and tell them to ready their troops now. And you, Melana…’
Melana flipped her hair over her shoulder. ‘What?’ she demanded.
Hemanlok smirked at her. ‘Wait until I come back with the brat. Then meet us at the gates. You got that?’
‘Indeed.’ She made as if to turn, but Hemanlok stopped her again.
‘Lana.’
‘What?’
Hemanlok’s white teeth flashed into a sudden, unexpected grin.
‘Raise hell,’ he told her.
A smile spread over Melana’s face and she nodded. ‘I can do that.’
Lycaea
Melana’s intervention bought me time, and Lowell’s freedom. Soldiers clattered behind me. The corridors of Caerwyn were narrow and winding, but I had spent three years there. I knew the fortress well enough. I skidded around corners, knocked into walls. My mouth was dry. It was hard to swallow, hard to breathe. Everything hurt, but I knew Lowell was alive. It charged my legs, pushed me on.
I slid into a hallway, found myself facing a guard. Melana had killed the ones outside my cell. The man facing me drew his sword and lunged. I stepped to the side, grabbed his arm and snapped it backwards. He screamed. The sword clattered to the ground and I snatched it and ran him through. Blood splashed onto the flagstones. I pulled the sword out. Forced myself forward.
The east side of the fortress was the best point of exit. If the army had made it through the mountain-pass they would be waiting there. It was my best chance of getting reinforcements, walking into battle rather than dying first. I had never run so fast. I swung into alcoves to avoid soldiers. Sweat coursed down my face, ran over my back and pasted my clothes to my body. Twice I slipped, fell on my elbows and knees, almost gutted myself with the sword I had stolen. Both times, I had to drag myself up and hide. The first time behind a tapestry. The second time in the shadow of a door.
When I made it into the open, light blinded me. I did not have time to let my eyes adjust. The courtyard was too exposed. Walls ran along either side, and buildings beside them. At the top was a ridged walkway. Too far from the roofs to cross, but the ridges would give me more protection. A straight route to the eastern wall. I took the stairs two at a time. Behind me, soldiers clattered out of the narrow halls. I could smell Leldh, knew he was with them. At the top of the stairs I turned, unable to help myself. Stopped. Sweating. I could see him, standing with his soldiers. My hatred seethed. I wanted him dead.
But not now. I had to get out first. Get to the army.
Leldh’s eyes met mine, and his lips curled into a smirk. Bowmen halted just behind him. The wall would give me scant protection from their arrows. Daeman gave the orders and the bowmen lifted their weapons.
An arrow was released. The aim was high. It missed. I dodged to the side and my feet slipped, I sucked in air and fell and for a dread moment there was nothing but me and the air.
And then a jolt. I stared at the ground beneath me with wide eyes, taking in a sharp gasp. Arrows zipped past me and I could feel their deadly hum as they cleft the air.
Something was holding me by the scruff of my neck, the grip firm. I barely swung as I was lifted back onto the ledge. Perhaps I was already dead.
Taking a shuddering breath, I risked looking up. My heart almost stopped. I dangled limp as Hemanlok steadied me. He had none of my uncertainty with the height and narrow ledge, was as balanced as if he had been on level ground.
I choked out something inarticulate. Above the ringing in my ears I could make out Daeman’s shouts. And the pounding of my heart had never been such a welcome sound.
Hemanlok hauled me over the edge of the wall, keeping a good grip as he swung over. There was a large gap between us and the next building: too much for me, and a wide distance even for the big Watcher. Hemanlok did not baulk. He adjusted his grip on me and leapt from the wall to the roof, as I had seen him do so many times in Luthan. Once there, he set me down on a flat section of roof. I sank onto it, curling up. My breathing was too fast. I thought my lungs would explode.
Once Hemanlok was beside me he picked me up like a child. I grabbed the front of his jacket. He moved to the edge of the roof. In a single great stride, he cleared the distance from one building to another. To Hemanlok, every rooftop was the same, and his blindness made no difference at all.
We descended, crossing from the highest rooftops to the lower ones. We were almost at the ground by the time Leldh’s men had made it to the highest roof. Hemanlok chuckled as we reached the last roof. I turned in time to see Melana’s Shadows descending on the soldiers, moving like spiders. The masked, cloaked figures were merciless; intent on their prey. I could not tear my eyes from them. Soldiers were flung from the rooftop. Cracked and splattered on the ground below. One of the Shadows grabbed a man, hauled him close. Dark tentacles wormed from beneath the Shadow’s mask. Tore the soldier’s throat open. Sucked at the gaping hole in his neck. I gagged.
Hemanlok spun me to face the edge of the roof. He threw us off. We hit the ground hard but he broke my fall. The wind was knocked from my lungs but I had no time to recover. I rolled away from Hemanlok and stumbled to my feet, trying to keep track of the ground and work out where we were.
To the north-east, where the rocks were craggy and sharp and Caerwyn was raised. Not so steep as the west side, which framed the river. A floor of rock ended abruptly at a small cliff a few yards away. Not wanting to risk stumbling over, I steadied myself on a boulder.
‘Move, brat,’ Hemanlok ordered. He started to drag me towards the edge of the cliff. I dug my feet into a dip in the rock, setting my jaw as new suspicion dawned in my mind. I had been fooled before with images of my gan
g. I would not be fooled again. He was in a perfect position to throw me over the cliff. After being moved from that cell, I would not be killed just when I was so close to freedom.
The Watcher growled. ‘A bit late to be wise, brat.’
He came to face me, setting his large, gloved hands on my shoulders. Every inch of my body ached and strained, and I knew I was a mess. In the face of his collected, unruffled aura, I felt as I had when I first joined his gang: small, inadequate and inexperienced.
‘You’ve been Leldh’s creature for three years. He made you torture people. He made you kill people. He took everything from you.’ His grip on my shoulders tightened. ‘And now it’s time to take everything back. You got that, Lycaea? You got me?’
I gaped at him, stricken mute.
‘Mayhap you got me mistaken.’ His voice took an edge. ‘That weren’t encouragement, brat. That was an order. C’mon. We’re going. Unless you’d like to go back into that cell?’
I followed him to the edge of the cliff. He began to descend, and I watched him for a moment. My hands were still stiff and numb with the cold. There was no way I would make it to the bottom.
‘You’ll never make it t’the bottom,’ Flicker scoffed. ‘It’s too far for a brat like you. You’ll fall and break your neck. And the boss’ll have my hide.’
‘Go and boil your head in horse piss,’ I retorted. I started down the side of the building. My hands burned. Flicker let out a low cry of exasperation, coming to the edge of the roof.
‘You’ll die!’ she called down. ‘Come back here before you fall!’
‘Fall?’ I asked. ‘Not likely!’ I sped up and forgot the pain in my hands, swinging from one windowsill to the other, finding footholds with bare hands and feet.
I cleared my head. Take everything back, Hemanlok had said.
I clenched my teeth and started to scale the small cliff.
It was difficult to grip the stone for a while. My fingers slipped and my feet fumbled to find the right holds. It was like I was sixteen all over again, trying to make my way down a Luthanese wall. I risked a smile. Trying to keep up with Flicker and Mitri. There was a rhythm to the climb. Breathe in, find a hold. Breathe out, lower yourself. The muscles adjusted to it. They knew the rhythm. It was like scaling rigging, like climbing a tree. The whole world was Luthan. Just bigger.