“I think Jail is working on the crowd. They are getting rather rowdy considering how many guards there are about,” Neph said, glancing over his shoulder at the commons that were now pushing closer to the dais.
“It’s going to be hard to get out of here without trampling people. What the hell is Kellis waiting on?” Wisp grumbled.
Jala ignored the banter as she watched a Justicar climb onto the dais to whisper something in Kellis’s ear. She couldn’t make out the words from here but knew Marrow had heard them clearly from the way his ears were cocked. What did he say? she asked the Bendazzi through their link.
They have been searching for Chastity’s daughter as well as a few others. They have not found them and are concerned that they may have breached the Barrier, Marrow replied quickly, his head still cocked and listening.
“Are you going to release the prisoners, Kellis, or are you going to continue this farce?” Jala called loudly.
“If you continue your harassment, girl I will find you guilty of obstructing justice,” Kellis warned, his face turning red with anger.
“This is talking, Kellis,” she said calmly as she drew her hands up before her. Pulling swiftly on her magic she summoned a force blast and sent it crashing into the dais. Wood splintered as the platform broke down the center sending those standing above tumbling to the ground. “That is obstructing,” she added quietly and the world exploded into chaos around her.
She was dimly aware of Finn spurring his horse toward where Valor had fallen before the guards surrounding her swarmed in. “Get Chastity!” she bellowed to her companions, but didn’t take the time to see if they had listened. Snarls erupted from Marrow as the Bendazzi tore into the closest guards.
Taking her reins tightly in one hand she used another force blast to push the remaining guards back from her horse and searched around wildly for Kellis. If she could just manage to kill that bastard, the Barrier on the city might come down. She knew he was the center of all of their troubles. A flash of bright yellow caught her eye and she saw Devron pulling himself back onto what remained of the platform. His expression was one of pure fury as he glared at her before disappearing back into the Hall of Justice. There was no sign of Kellis, however, and she suspected the coward had retreated at first signs of trouble.
A wave of fire sprang to life behind her and she glanced back to see Neph pushing the guards away with the flames. There was no sign of Wisp nearby and she desperately hoped the Fae had gone for Chastity. Angry screams rose from the crowds beyond and the sound of fighting was everywhere. She had never seen a riot before and wondered briefly how many people she had killed by starting one today.
“How did I ever think we could make it back to my district in this,” she whispered as she summoned more magic for a spell. A guard staggered back against her leg and she kicked him hard away from her. The man spun as he fell and blood from his torn throat sprayed across her leg and horse. His stomach was torn in jagged strips where Marrow had raked him. Bile rose in her throat at the sight and she turned back to the fighting willing her breathing back to normal.
Wordless shrieking arose nearby her as Marrow drug another victim to the ground and she hastily called a Windblade to cut down another guard raising his sword against her Familiar. The spell sliced the man in half as it stuck and she looked away quickly from the gruesome sight.
With effort, she closed herself off to the suffering and fell into a steady rhythm of fighting. Her side was gradually getting pushed back as the guardsmen rallied against the commons. They needed to get out of here soon and she knew it, but she still saw no signs of Finn, Valor or Chastity.
“Jala, look out,” Neph called behind her.
Looking up sharply she saw two Justicars moving swiftly across what remained of the platform toward her. Magic was no good against them and she struggled to think of a spell to help her. One staggered and dropped with a black arrow shaft protruding from the slit in his visor and Jala silently thanked Wisp. The Fae was deadly accurate with her arrows.
“We need to withdraw!” Neph yelled, his words almost lost in the ringing of swords.
“I know, but I don’t know where the others are!” she yelled back, unsure if he had heard her. The second Justicar was almost upon her and she still hadn’t decided what spell to use. Movement from her left drew her eye and she watched in amazement as Finn plowed hard into the Justicar that was nearly on her. She hadn’t even seen where her husband came from. The Justicar recovered quickly and rounded on Finn with his broadsword. Finn deftly dodged the cumbersome weapon and drove in hard with his twin blades flashing. Sparks flew off of the Justicar’s armor as Finn pushed him back with a flurry of blows. There weren’t many that could match him in speed and the Justicar was overmatched.
“Follow Valor, Jala!” Finn yelled back to her as he continued to press his opponent.
Looking around frantically, she spotted the knight mounted on Finn’s grey mare. He was cutting a swathe toward her with brutal efficiency. She could make out a crumpled bloody form laying across the saddle in front of her. By the pale blue fabric she knew it must be Chastity and her heart sank as she realized the figure wasn’t moving.
“Jala, move now!” Finn yelled again, his voice frantic. More Justicars were rushing out of the Hall of Justice toward them.
Jala shook her head at Finn in refusal. If she left him with that many enemies he wouldn’t have a chance. Taking a page from Neph’s book she called on one of the simplest spells he had taught her. The far side of the fractured dais glimmered in the sun as her magic coated it in several inches of ice. The area covered wasn’t large, but it was more than enough to send the approaching Justicars tumbling back off the side in a tangled heap of armor and swords.
With a muffled curse, Finn finished off his Justicar and slammed his blades back into their scabbards. He scanned the area quickly for enemies and then ran toward her. Without a flicker of hesitation he launched himself onto the back of the gelding behind her and grabbed the reins from her hand. With one arm wrapped tightly around her waist he kicked the horse into a run toward Valor. Jala glanced back quickly to make sure Marrow and Neph followed and was relieved to see her friends close behind.
“Where is Wisp?” she asked, struggling frantically to catch sight of the Fae in the chaos of the square. Everywhere she looked there was fighting and blood. The ground was littered with corpses of guards and commons alike.
“Already free of the crowd I would guess. She has a good deal of common sense,” Finn growled. She could smell the scent of blood thick on him and wondered how much of it belonged to his enemies.
“Did you really expect me to leave you there alone, Finn?” she snapped and used a wind spell to knock a cluster of combatants back away from the charging horses.
“Well it would be nice if you would listen on occasion,” he grumbled but there was no anger in his voice, only concern.
“Less talking, more retreating! They have their mages back there now!” Neph yelled behind them as the ground ahead split apart.
“Fix it!” Finn yelled and she wasn’t sure if he was talking to Neph or her. Her gelding began to slow as it approached the chasm but Valor’s mare thundered toward it, maddened by the scent of blood. Jala pulled on her reserves once more and flung a hand toward the gaping road just as Valor’s horse made the impossible leap. Chunks of rock and earth flew up at her command and hastily fused together forming a make shift bridge. The mare landed roughly as the spell was still weaving and nearly careened off the side, barely managing to regain her balance. Jala watched with held breath as Valor twisted in the saddle and leaned hard to the right to catch his sister’s body before it could fall from the saddle. The fact that he had remained with the horse at all astonished her, and yet there he was, leaving the bridge and bringing his sword up for another stroke.
Her gelding thundered across the bridge and Marrow streaked past them, a white blur against the stone. With a roar the Bendazzi leaped onto the armored fo
rm of a Justicar as he was preparing to swing on Valor’s back. The two of them went down in a tangle of fur and metal and Jala quickly lost sight of them as they raced by. The smell of ozone filled the air as Neph called lightning down upon an advancing group of guards in the Avanti colors.
“Hurry! Sovann almost has the wards done!” Wisp urged from the edge of the riot. She raised her bow over her head and waved it back toward the gate urging them on.
Valor was the first through, with her and Finn close behind. Jala turned to look back, desperate to see Marrow but didn’t see the Bendazzi anywhere. There was no sign of Jail, either, and she wondered how much her rescue had cost them. Finn slowed their horse and turned it quickly back toward the riot. He dropped down from behind her and looked up to Neph. He motioned at the open gates and turned back to Jala.
“Are you OK?” he asked, his eyes scanning her quickly for any signs of wounds. They stopped on her blood splattered leg and his concern washed over her.
“It’s not mine,” she hastily assured him and looked back through the gate. “Where is Jail? We need to close the gate and I still don’t see him or Marrow,” she said.
“Close it anyway, we can’t wait,” Finn urged but Neph stubbornly shook his head.
“Not until they are here. We can hold them off if needed,” The mage assured him.
Wisp rode over by her and squeezed Jala’s arm lightly. “You did much better this time, nice trick with the platform.”
Jala looked past her to where Valor sat silently with one hand resting on his sister’s corpse and a look of silent rage on his face. “Not good enough, I had planned to rescue both of them,” Jala said quietly. She looked away from the knight and back out the gate, her eyes searching the crowds once more. Where are you? she asked, sending the words to both Jail and Marrow.
Looking for Kellis. Close the gates I’ll contact Sovann when I’m ready to rejoin you, Jail responded, his voice sounding distracted.
Right behind Finn, wondering why in the bloody hell you aren’t sealing the gates before the angry mob looks this way, Marrow responded.
Jala turned to study the ground behind Finn and frowned in confusion. She saw no signs of her Familiar anywhere. Turning her head she searched the nearby alleys and streets frantically.
Remember this moment the next time you say the Blight hides better than me, Marrow said smugly as he dropped his camouflage and his form became visible near the stones of the wall. He had blended so perfectly with the stones she had looked right over him.
“Let’s seal the gates Neph. I contacted Jail and he says he will let Sovann know when he is ready to come back. He is hunting at the moment,” Jala said quietly. Dismounting from her horse she moved up to stand beside Neph and blended her magic with his for the casting. At their command stone began to form in the opening archway of the massive gate. Neph guided the magic building layer after layer, until the opening was fully sealed.
“A mage can dispel it, if they can manage to find a mage stronger than the two of us together. I don’t think they will have much luck with that while the Barrier is up. Nonetheless …” Neph’s voice trailed off as he raised a hand toward the stone and glyphs began to appear in the smooth sides. “We will leave a few traps and a few alarms. If anyone does try to breach it, I will know.”
“Now all we have to do is worry about them climbing the damn wall,” Finn grumbled, his eyes roving the massive walls that lined the district.
“I put wards up on them that should make that a rather difficult job,” Sovann said from near Wisp. Jala looked over at the mage in surprise and blinked stupidly. She hadn’t even noticed him approach and he was barely five feet away from her.
No wonder you couldn’t spot me, Marrow said with a snicker.
“Will the alarms be enough or should we post guards as well?” Jala asked, looking around to all of her companions for opinions.
“Leave it at just alarms for now. I don’t know that we have any outside this circle that I would trust to guard me,” Finn answered and the others nodded their agreement. “For now, let’s get back to the house and make arrangements for getting Wisp and Valor out of here.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Valor said firmly, his voice cold and firm.
Finn turned and regarded his friend with a frown. “Val, you have to,” he insisted.
“Let’s get back home before we argue about this. No need to let prying ears overhear how much we all fight with each other,” Neph suggested and turned his horse toward the stable.
“I agree with Neph on this. Let’s get to safety and we can discuss things,” Jala said with a nod and remounted her gelding. She motioned to Finn to join her on the horse.
“We aren’t done with this,” he said to Valor and climbed into the saddle behind her.
“I’m not leaving until I see them dead,” Valor replied grimly.
None of them needed to ask who. It was obvious by the grief written on the knight’s face that he meant those that had murdered his sister. Jala lowered her head as they rode back to the stable and wondered if Finn could have done the job better alone. Her method had cost so many lives. The images of tangled, bloody bodies filled her mind and she let out a long sigh. It was good that she was used to nightmares. She had no doubts that her actions from today would haunt her dreams tonight.
Chapter 26
Fionahold
Symphony watched the preparations around her with a heavy heart. The courtyard of the Fionahold was filled with warriors. With every barked command from Lutheron, her dream of a bloodless victory grew fainter. Of course with Sanctuary under the Barrier there was no hope of calling a vote. Even if she could have called for one, though, three of the High Lords she was depending on were unable to leave their lands.
The last word they had received from Glis and Arovan had described a living nightmare, and now Faydwar was infested with the Blights as well. It wouldn’t be long before they moved into the Firym lands, and still they had no way of knowing how to stop the creatures.
Shade’s attack on Eldagar had been the only true victory they had to speak of, and that was not a victory they could repeat. It had only worked because the creatures were infesting a city. On open ground such an attack would be pointless.
“What’s wrong?” Remedy asked her quietly. She turned to look back at him and smiled faintly. It was nice to hear him actually talking. Lutheron had brought him back days ago, but this was one of the few times she could remember him actually speaking to her since his return. She wasn’t sure if she had done something wrong, or if it was from his capture, but he certainly wasn’t behaving normal.
“I feel like I’m watching the end of everything,” she said sadly, turning her gaze back to the warriors in the courtyard. Lutheron was working on dividing them into strike forces now, and the courtyard had been broken into four groups. She didn’t know any details of the plan other than they were going to retake the city of Sanctuary. Lutheron said they had a contact in the city helping, but he wouldn’t say who, or how they were helping. Such things were becoming far too common in the Fionaveir. It was as if no one trusted anyone anymore. First, it had been Shade and Charm refusing to share their plan, and now Lutheron was doing the same.
“They are retaking the city. It has to be done, Sym,” Remedy said and moved to stand beside her. “We have allies that are trapped in there as well as the children of our allies out here. We can’t just leave them to rot.”
“It will be the first battle in the war I have been trying to avoid,” Symphony replied. She watched Vaze move forward from the crowd to stand by Lutheron. He stood taller than Lutheron and had a deadly reputation as a fighter. Yet he still treated Lutheron with utmost respect, despite the fact that he was a council member himself. Vaze leaned over to whisper in Lutheron’s ear and she wondered if even he knew the plan. Lutheron had named Vaze one of the strike leaders so surely he must. She watched Lutheron nod in response and then return to his task of dividing the forces.
No one asked her opinion on anything. They hadn’t even consulted her about retaking the city. All of them claimed it was to secure her power so she could lead, but she was beginning to wonder. If they didn’t consult her now, how would they treat her later? Would she simply be a figurehead to them?
“There is no other option but war now, Symphony. They took that choice away when they captured the city,” Remedy said with a sadness in his voice that echoed her own. “With the Blights only hitting our side though, I don’t see how we can win. We are already so weak before it has even begun,” he added with a sigh.
“That’s why I say the end of everything. We will fight and we will lose. I see no other way. We are drastically low on power right now and we have to focus on the Blights rather than the enemies we need to be watching,” Symphony whispered so only he would hear. It wouldn’t do for those getting ready to fight in her name to hear her speaking this way.
“You don’t know that yet. Our enemy doesn’t have the unity that we do. There is a slim chance that they will turn on each other before this is over,” Remedy offered, though he didn’t hold much hope in his voice.
She shook her head slightly and sighed again. “They will tear each other apart over our corpses, but not before then. They are too close to victory now and they know it. In another three months our contracts of peace with the mercenaries end, and I don’t think either Kithvaryn or Graves will renew them with so much profit to be made by killing us instead.”
“Things could change. Do not give up before we have begun,” Remedy urged and draped an arm across her shoulders.
She looked up at him gratefully and smiled. It was the most contact he had offered in days. Leaning her head against his shoulder, she inhaled deeply and nodded. “I’m sorry, I should have more faith. I know how good the warriors before me are and I should offer them the respect they deserve, not condemn them to failure. Not all our allies are out of the game yet either. We still have Oblivion, Firym, and Merrodin.” The last she added with a heavy heart. They had planned on a vote from Jala and nothing more. The girl had no resources or power beyond a voice at the council. If it came to war, Symphony knew Merrodin would be a casualty.
The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 2 Blood Honor and Dreams Page 38