by David Hodges
As she went through the stone faced door, Fergus began to close it, but he was stopped when a soldier on the other side grabbed it and pulled back.
Hazel instinctively slashed down at his wrist, and Crúbail sliced through it as effortlessly as it had gone through the ibex’s horn.
His hand fell to the ground and wedged itself in the door. He screamed and pulled his arm from the doorway.
Hazel jumped back with a gasp at the same time.
Fergus kicked the hand out of the way and tried again to shut the door, but a musket slid through and jammed it before he could shut it.
“Forget it! Run!” cried Hazel just as a shot fired off. They sprinted to the other end of the tunnel and barely made it through the door in time for Faron to shut it and lock it behind them with the soldiers on the other side. The soldiers pounded on the door, then began firing shots at it.
Hazel continued to the large stone staircase and began descending, watching her steps carefully behind the slower of the group. It was not long before they could hear the soldiers descending above.
When they reached the chute, Elisedd began to help one of the girls up into it.
Faron stopped him. “We have to keep going, they’re too close!”
“This is the only way out!” said Elisedd.
“We’ll be stuck!” said Faron as he continued on.
When they reached a pair of tunnel openings further down Faron said, “We’ll lead them off the staircase. Hazel, protect the others, go to the bottom of the tunnel and see if you can clear enough rubble to get out.”
A shot fired from up above, splattering bits of stone and dust off of the wall beside Faron. “Go!” said Faron as he and Alviva went through one of the tunnels.
Hazel did as she was told and descended the stairs, staying close against the wall. As they made it down, the sounds above did not seem to follow them, Faron’s plan had worked.
At the bottom of the staircase, there was nothing but a large square room of stone walls, a dirt floor and a wide pile of rubble for a door. “We’re supposed to move that?” said Fergus.
Leland changed. His arms and legs were covered in brown and a pair of sharp white horns grew from his head. He climbed up the side of the rubble pile and began chucking boulders behind him.
“Wait, we’ve got a better idea,” said Bede who was crouched down with her hand feeling the ground. She picked up a handful of dirt. “It’ll take us some time to do this without burying ourselves. Start moving the boulders from the center.” The girls’ hands grew long, thick claws, and they grew coats of light brown fur. They set to digging in front of the pile, spraying dirt behind them. Within a few seconds, they were underground.
Gunfire, shouts, and clashing metal began to ring down from the staircase.
“We can’t just wait here, they’re outnumbered!” said Hazel. “I’m going back up.”
“C’mon, Hazel, you heard Faron,” pleaded Fergus. “Don’t be reckless.”
Hazel’s tone sharpened at the accusation. “Yes, I heard him. He said protect the others, so let’s go protect them. Sitting here cowering achieves nothing.”
Daniel nodded.
Fergus sighed and nodded as well.
“We can protect ourselves, I’m coming with yous,” said Arnie.
“Aye, us as well,” said the middle-aged man with his hand around a younger man’s shoulders.
“Alright,” said Hazel as she ran back up the stairs with her sword in hand.
As they reached the tunnels where they had split with Faron and the others, they were surprised by a pair of soldiers descending the staircase. One of them took aim. The older villager behind Hazel moved her to the side and stepped toward the soldier, turning his back toward him. His shirt and jacket ripped to shreds and a large shell grew from his back just before the soldier fired. He seemed unfazed by the shot.
Arnie had a large set of horns out, brown and ridged just like the ibex Hazel had frightened in the cave. He charged at the soldier’s side, and with a sharp ram, he knocked him off the staircase. The soldier screamed as he plummeted until there was a sickening crunch below.
Daniel had already engaged the other soldier. Fergus went to his aid, and he took a full swing at the distracted soldier’s head with his torch, knocking him out.
They continued up the stairs toward the tunnels, and after a few more flights of stairs, Hazel found herself beside a pair of soldiers at one of the tunnel entrances. The closest raised his musket toward Hazel.
She slashed at it, splitting it in half.
The soldier dropped it and fled down the tunnel. The remaining soldier swung his bayonet at Daniel, who managed to block the blow.
Hazel thrust her blade into the guard’s shoulder, but it hardly penetrated.
The soldier swung at her with his musket and she easily blocked the blow before reflexively countering with a slash at his neck. The soldier dropped his sword and touched the gushing laceration on his neck, then collapsed.
Hazel covered her mouth. “I’ve killed him,” she said, exasperated.
Daniel turned her face toward his and said, “He was trying to do the same to us.”
She nodded, then looked over toward the other tunnel and saw Arnie standing over a still soldier. Another soldier was writhing on the ground with his hands on his face. It looked like there were needles stuck all over him. Hazel realized that they had come from the young man who was changed beside him, his body densely covered with the same needles, many of them poking through his clothing. The older man had one of the soldier’s muskets in his hands. Arnie gave the quill-riddled soldier a quick kick to the jaw, silencing his moans.
Daniel said to the three of them, “We’ll split up.”
Arnie nodded and they went into the tunnel.
Hazel, Daniel, and Fergus continued down their tunnel toward the fighting. Despite the torchlight, Hazel could hardly see more than a few feet ahead. Her eyes changed and expanded the breadth of her torch’s light. As they continued on, she passed over several limp soldiers on the ground before she could see Bjarke, Otus, and Uschi surrounded by men ahead. She spotted Ulric amongst their opponents.
She sprinted ahead of Daniel and Fergus.
Ulric turned away from Bjarke and Uschi and walked coolly toward her. Without any thought, Hazel’s arms and legs had changed, she felt their vigor as she continued toward him. Then she felt Ulric’s wolves. Ulric looked down at them, confused. They were backing off from Hazel who was fast approaching.
When Hazel reached him, she swung Crúbail fast, and the blade followed through as if it were weightless.
Ulric blocked the blow only inches from his face. Hazel attacked again and again, remaining on the offensive. She knew if she stopped, she risked hesitating. She chose not to think and let her blade fly almost on its own accord.
Ulric could barely keep up as the sparks flew from their blades. He backed away from Hazel as he met her blows, then jumped back with a look of shock taking over his vicious scowl. He backed away, retreating into the chaotic fighting behind him.
Hazel noticed chips in Crúbail next to her torch, then she could see that they were being filled in by Fuil. Seconds later, the edge of the blade was fully restored. She looked past her blade to see that Daniel and Fergus had joined Bjarke and Uschi in fighting the soldiers and Creachs all around them. As Hazel rushed toward the group, she saw Fergus’s sword knocked from his grasp by one of the soldiers, then he was kicked backward onto the ground. He scrambled away from the soldier as the man walked toward him with a saber in his hand. It was Henry Marsden, his pomp present even in the fighting. Daniel took notice and stepped in between Fergus and Henry. He swung toward Henry, who parried the strike lazily.
Hazel ran toward them.
Henry noticed and pulled out a pistol. He shot Hazel.
She felt an excruciating blow to her shoulder, and staggered there, unsure of the damage. It was unlike any pain she had ever experienced, a heavy ache, a sharp stab, and
burning, all at once. She began to feel faint.
She saw Henry swing at Daniel. Daniel barely met the blow, failing to block it completely as Henry’s blade sliced his sword arm.
Hazel ignored her pain and started toward Henry again. She felt her whole body changing as she approached.
Henry drew another pistol from behind his back and shot Hazel again.
She felt her thigh explode with pain and collapsed to the ground with a cry of agony.
She looked up at Daniel, who was switching his blade to his left hand as he looked back at her with eyes full of worry and fury. He swung at Henry again. This time, Henry caught Daniel’s bandaged forearm with a gloved hand. Hazel could make out shimmering Fuil in the glove that was trapping Daniel there.
Henry lifted the point of his saber to Daniel’s chest, then thrust it through.
“No!” Hazel screamed as she dragged herself toward them. She could not believe what she was seeing as Henry’s blade exited Daniel’s back.
Daniel dropped his torch and his sword, and looked down at the saber in his chest. Then he looked toward Hazel. He was so afraid, she had never seen him so afraid.
His eyes closed.
As Daniel collapsed to the ground, Henry calmly slid his blade out of his chest. He wiped his blood off on his red coat.
Hazel could no longer feel the bullets in her shoulder and leg. The pain was replaced with a far worse sort of suffering. She was full of rage, sorrow, and guilt as she screamed, filling the mine with her agony.
The animals in the tunnel, Orson and Ulric’s wolves, writhed in pain on the floor at her scream until her vision and screaming faded as she lost consciousness.
36
CAMERON
Cameron walked through the manor hallway to a door where a pair of soldiers were standing guard.
One of the soldiers nodded to him. “Sir.” He opened unlocked the door and let him in.
Cameron entered the room and saw Alexandra pacing in it, wearing a clean cream dress. It was his favorite color on her. He closed the door behind him and turned to walk toward her.
She rushed to him. He was met with a hard slap across his face. “What have you done! How could you abandon them!” she screamed.
Cameron in shock, said, “Alexandra, I’m doing this for us. We can be together this way.”
“Is that all you care about?”
“Is that so terrible?”
“How could you be so selfish? Your sister, your friends, all these people, they all understand, but not you. I don’t even know who you are. Get out!”
Cameron went to try and comfort her.
She slapped him again. “Get out!”
Cameron left the room, his face hot.
Marlow was standing in the hallway. “She’ll come around.”
Cameron was not so sure.
“Come with me,” said Marlow, leading Cameron down the hall. He took Cameron to the study, which was guarded by several soldiers and Creachs. Inside, it had been cleaned up since the fighting the day prior. There were maps and supplies that had not been there earlier. Marlow went to the desk and handed Cameron a thick envelope. “Titles... this estate belongs to you now.”
Cameron stared down at the envelope in disbelief.
Marlow slid an open piece of parchment over the desk toward Cameron. “And your commission, Captain. It needs your signature.” He dipped a quill and handed it to Cameron.
Cameron signed the parchment.
Marlow picked up a red wool coat. It was heavily trimmed with leather and cut like the officer’s coat Marlow was wearing. Coppery Fuil adorned the long, leather lapels and cuffs. “Try it on.”
Cameron put the coat on.
“It fits you well,” said Marlow. He went to a large chest and unlocked it, then flipped open the heavy top. Inside, three gleaming, silver Spheres of Fuil laid inside on dark velvet pillows. The smallest was the size of a man’s fist, the largest the size of a man’s head. Marlow placed his hand on the largest of the Spheres and said, “I hear you’re talented with these Cameron.”
“I suppose,” said Cameron.
As Marlow looked down on his prize, entranced, he said, “Good. You and I are going to change the world.”
37
HAZEL
Hazel woke to the sound of breaking waves and seagulls cawing. Grayed daylight shone through the room. On her chest, Ollie was kneading his paws and drooling on her.
“Ollie, where are we?”
“Derbyhaven harbor, on Mann,” a woman’s voice answered.
Hazel gasped, then saw an older woman sitting in the corner of the room beside her.
“Sorry, love. Didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“Mann? Do you mean the isle?”
The woman nodded.
“What happened? How did I get here?”
“You were brought here. You sailed from Blackpool with the others who escaped Talamh.”
Hazel quickly remembered the invasion and fleeing Talamh, then she remembered the last thing she saw, Daniel with a sword through his chest. The terror in his eyes. Hot tears filled her eyes and rolled down her face. “It really happened?”
“I’m afraid so, dear.” The woman stood and came to Hazel’s bedside and stroked her hair. “Let me go tell your friends you’ve woken. I’ll fetch you some food and tea as well.”
Hazel could only nod at her. As soon as the woman left the room, Hazel buried her face into her pillow and sobbed. How can this be real? How can he be gone? I should have saved him... we should have stayed down with the others.
The door opened and Faron and Fergus entered.
Fergus, his eyes red and watery, went to Hazel and hugged her tight.
Hazel said as she wept, “It’s all my fault. Daniel wouldn’t have gone...”
“No,” said Fergus firmly. “Daniel was ready to go up there with or without you. Forget what I said about you being reckless. Forget it... you were right to go up there, we were right to follow. I’m the one he was trying to protect, lying there useless.” He shook his head and tears streamed down his face.
Faron touched both their shoulders. “This is their fault. Marlow. The soldiers. No one else’s.”
Fergus nodded, unconvinced.
“How are you feeling?” Faron asked Hazel, looking to her shoulder and leg.
“I’m alright.” She looked down at her bandaged wounds. “Is it bad?”
Faron replied, “You were lucky, they only damaged the flesh. We cleaned the wounds well. You’ll make a full recovery.”
“What happened? After Daniel...” her voice trailed off.
Fergus said, “You changed, Hazel... I mean, you really changed, and the animals, something was happening to them. They were in pain until you passed out, then it stopped.”
Hazel nodded. She became preoccupied with the image of Henry stabbing Daniel, and the fear on Daniel’s face when she was screaming, letting out all her pain. “You fought off the soldiers? What happened to Henry Marsden?” The thought of him was already turning her grief to anger.
“They fled when Faron and the others came to our aid.”
“How many made it out?” Hazel asked.
Faron said solemnly, “Not more than twenty in total. Just the others in the mine, and Coinín’s wagon.”
Hazel remembered Cameron with the soldiers in the manor. “And Cameron?”
Faron shook his head.
“You really think he’s joined Marlow?”
Faron nodded. “Yes.”
“Perhaps he’s confused,” said Hazel.
Faron shook his head. “We told him everything, he knows it all.”
Hazel’s stomach knotted at her brother’s betrayal. You selfish fool. You must see what that man is, what all those men are.
Fergus said, “He must not know about Daniel. If only we could tell him somehow... Trínasúile maybe?”
“We can’t. They’ll be watching every creature in Talamh. I’m sorry,” said Faron. “Hazel, we’re m
eeting outside in the kitchen to discuss where to go from here. You should join us if you’re up for it, take your time.”
Hazel nodded.
When Fergus and Faron left, she looked to the tray of food the older woman had brought for her. “I’m afraid I’m not very hungry, but thank you.” She realized she had not introduced herself. “Forgive me, ma’am, what’s your name?”
“Oh, it’s no bother. You have a lot on your mind. I’m Meriel.”
She did not remember seeing the woman in the mines or on the wagon. “Did you escape Talamh?”
She shook her head. “I live here, on Mannin, this is my home.”
“Are you... one of us?”
“Athraithe? Yes, dear. You’ve heard of Athraithe na Fharraige, haven’t you?”
“Yes, I have, of course. You live in the open?”
“In a way, yes, we live discreetly amongst the unchanged.”
“Won’t the Creachs know where to find you? Surely they know you’re here?”
“No, love, they know we’re on the isle, but they wouldn’t know exactly where we live. The few who might’ve been in threat have had time to hide thanks to your uncle. He told us what was happening. Not to mention, the unchanged Manx here would rather drown than help a redcoat.” The woman smiled, staring at Hazel. She looked to be examining her. “You’re as beautiful as your mother was.”
Hazel was stunned for a moment. “You knew her? Was she here?”
“I only met her once. She was recruiting sailors for the expedition. My husband went on that voyage, and my oldest boy...”
“Are they here? Did they know her?”
The woman shook her head. “They never returned. No one on the expedition ever returned.”
No one except Hazel’s mother. “Forgive me.”
“You should go speak with your friends, they’ll want to see you.”
Hazel nodded and left the room with Meriel’s aid as she limped into the hall. She heard Einar’s voice down the hall as they went toward it. In the kitchen, a dozen or so people were gathered round.