The Pit of No Return (The King Henry Tapes Book 6)

by Richard Raley

  Susan sniffed at that. “You only think I’m crazy because you don’t want to hear what your dead relatives keep trying to tell you.”

  “That’s enough for now, Patient Thirty-Seven, or I will bind your mouth shut, your brother present or not,” Paine warned her. “Enough show of our respective merchandise, is it not? But not nearly large enough when it comes to the show of force. I’m disappointed that this is all you could manage. Quality of a certain sort, but . . . so few. No Eva Reti seeking revenge for her glorious place in the scientific process. No Divine Falschein carrying out his fruitless task for masters he but fakes loyalty towards. Two Welfs and the rest of your usual rabble, really?”

  “Enough to do what I need to do,” was all I said.

  Enough.

  Close now.

  Ten yards from either side.

  Let Val get a hand on Susan.

  Then we fight our way out of here.

  “Pathetic,” Paine declared, “but not unexpected. Shall I show you what a true show of force looks like? Shall I show you my army?” He slipped a small circular artifact out of his satchel and placed it before his mouth. “COME FORTH! ARMY OF PAINE!” it did all the yelling for him. “SHOW THE ASYLUM YOUR MIGHT! SHOW THEM HOW TRULY SMALL AND WEAK THEY ARE!”

  And out they came.

  The Army of Paine.

  Bit on the nose, ain’t it?

  Welf tried to keep up at first, relaying through his Construct the first ten or so people who exited the brick building we expected them to. Don’t know if it was him or Vicky that eventually stopped. Wasn’t just that building. Was the alleyway next to it. Was a bunch more from the building down the way and even more from SUVs peeling up and unloading passengers.

  Hoped for fifty.

  Feared one-hundred.

  Expectations.

  Might get me killed this time.

  Might get Val killed.

  Might get Ceinwyn killed.

  We were dead people standing.

  Wilders or not, there had to be five-hundred of them.

  All of them walking to take up positions behind Paine.

  A mass, an army.

  Filled with anima.

  Some Anima Mad too, no doubt, all of them at least a little bit, but . . .

  We were outnumbered fifty-to-one.

  Easily.

  “I did say over two-hundred now, little dog,” Paine called again in the same tone he had mocked me with about Susan’s madness.

  Got you, his zealot eyes said. Got you in the Pit and got you again. Gave you hope and now I snatch it away from you, all the better to take the fight from you, to make you kneel! Bow! Admit defeat! Beg for your life! Beg for all of their lives!

  He didn’t have to say the words.

  Neither did I.

  No.

  Never.

  Was in our eyes.

  Was in our faces.

  Tried so hard to not make this about blood.

  Not make it about punches or making it about nothing but taking the other guy down with me.

  Yet here we were.

  Could hear Fate laughing.

  Again.

  You don’t get a choice, King of Dirt.

  You don’t get a choice, Glassbreaker.

  I made you to fight and you will fight.

  I made you to suffer and you will suffer.

  “Okay,” I whispered, “that’s the way it’s gonna be, but it ain’t gonna be the Way It Suppose To Be.”

  “King Henry?” Val asked, unnerved by being outnumbered, but still not losing her head yet.

  “Keep to the plan,” I told them, “know what I have to do. Just keep to the plan.”

  “Don’t you dare try to sacrifice yourself—“ Ceinwyn started trying to civilize me, even here in the middle of the Crazy like none of us had ever seen before, not even in the fucking Geo Realm.

  “Not the place, not the time, Auntie Badass,” I told her. “Know what I have to do to give all of you a shot. Let me do it and maybe we all live. Still ain’t good odds, but . . . it’s the only way.”

  Glanced at Val, who nodded her agreement. “I know what I have to do too. I really didn’t want the day ending like this, King Henry. Some part of me hoped . . .”

  “Sorry, sweetie,” I said, understanding. “Me too. All that time I wasted on this artifact too . . . well, guess I get to stick it up Paine’s ass still. So what ya know? It is a dildo after all.”

  Three Queens were laughing again and now they weren’t alone. Always did like getting a laugh, but don’t think I’ve ever managed that many at one time, and never had it feel nearly so ominous. Wasn’t just laughing from those hundreds and hundreds of Wilders either, was cackling worthy of the Lady, was howling worthy of Wolfgang von Welf. Let’s just say they weren’t the best and brightest of the Mancy as a whole, much less the Asylum. All sorts, some in scrubs, others in tactical gear, few even in hospital gowns who were pulled out of the crazy bin just for the night.

  “Don’t wait for me,” I ordered again, especially Ceinwyn. “You run. You get out.”

  “What are you—“

  “No time,” I repeated, just a bit of canine grin coming over my face. “Look at me improvising this shit after all.”

  I motioned to Val and together we advanced forward ten more yards.

  Ten more yards toward five-hundred screaming, laughing, crazed Wilders that Paine had gathered, stolen, and bought. Not just for their anima. But to build an army. An army I couldn’t hope to deal with by myself, just slow down a little bit. Thing is, armies are built on morale. Had us outnumbered, had their leader standing there looking invincible.

  Not even sure I could beat Paine one-on-one.

  Not here.

  Surely couldn’t beat him and Isabel and Catherine. Not even with Boomworm by my side. Especially if Val had to worry about Susan like we planned.

  So . . . that’s a problem.

  You see the answer?

  I saw the answer.

  Earthquake part of me loved the answer.

  Glassbreaker inside of me screamed back at that army, screamed louder than that army.

  I WILL BREAK YOU.

  Ten more yards and there we stood, the two of us alone. Backed up by barely a dozen of the best and the brightest the Asylum had to offer. Don’t think I could’ve done that alone. Even me. Would’ve snapped. Glanced back to get a view of Vicky and T-Bone, Pocket and Jesus, Welf yelling and pointing at the cars, cuz of course he wanted to leave me to die if it meant saving his mother and his sister, even if he had to knock her out.

  Even if it meant Val dying with me, supposed high school crush of Welf’s life.

  Me standing here and you all the way back there is why she always picks me over you, Welf.

  Wasn’t exactly Valentine Ward standing next to me any longer. Just partly. Closed her eyes and when she opened them the star inside her blazed brighter than Paine’s madness ever could. Something inside of her whispered words and promises, of ashes and flesh dripping from bones and the righteous not faltering before the wicked.

  YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS.

  “They had a single bit of sense between all of them, then they’d be scared shitless right about now,” I couldn’t help but joke with her.

  Got me a laugh despite the situation.

  “I love you,” she told me seriously. “But if you die while leaving me behind, I’ll never forgive you.”

  “So you figured it out, huh?” I teased her.

  Her expression said she had. “Promise me you’ll kill him.”

  “Oh, he got no clue how big he dun fucked up,” I did promise her.

  Could barely hear her with the yelling, knew Paine and the others had no chance. Ol’ Obadiah seemed to be enjoying his moment. His trick. Big ass army just waiting for us when we thought we had maybe one-hundred to fight off. Bad odds turned into impossible odds. What is it that Sun Tzu says about death ground?

  Paine took a moment to survey our formation b
efore his gaze settled on the World-Breaker still in my hand. Or at least what he thought was one. Not completely worthless after all and still got that chance to go up Paine’s asshole, don’t ya, Fakeshin Dim? He took Susan away from Isabel, while motioning for Catherine to follow him.

  “She didn’t like that,” Val said.

  No, Isabel didn’t.

  Fighting over their lord’s affection. Be adorable if they weren’t murdering psychopaths the both of them. Susan looked terrified. Couldn’t blame her. Run, she mouthed at me, please.

  Felt Val’s hand clasp on my shoulder and give it a squeeze before falling away. “Never wanted to kiss you more in my life,” I told her.

  “When you get back,” she said. “After you put me back together . . .”

  “That bad, huh?”

  “She won’t get a scratch, I promise. Pity them, King Henry. I won’t. Not today.”

  Paine stopped just out of arm’s reach. “You are contemplating a suicidal action, little dog. Think twice. Think trice even. Do not make me kill all you love as part of your lesson.”

  “What lesson is that?” I asked, all canine and done with civilization.

  “How to kneel,” Catherine answered for him. “We have these nice artifacts that slide right on your wrists and you can’t even use anima while they’re on you, at least not very well. Nothing for a conjuration for sure. Give the Curator what is his and then place those on your wrists.”

  “So I can’t fight back,” I figured, “means you’re just a little worried still.”

  “Your next action determines who lives and who dies tonight,” Paine threatened. “Patient Thirty-Seven is at the top of the list.”

  “Give her to Val. Let them walk off. Then I hand this to you without unleashing all the anima inside of it at your army,” I returned the threat.

  Paine frowned at the Fakeshin Dim. “I do not sense anima in it . . .”

  “It’s there,” I bluffed, only not really, since the real Jinshin Ken was filled to the brim. And daddy is about to use it, yes he fucking is.

  “You’re still stupid and shortsighted,” Catherine hissed at me. “Just like at school. Always manage to see just enough to break up a good thing, but never enough to really stop anyone, do you? He just beat you, all of you! Like he promised me he would. You’re done!”

  “What else he promise?” I asked. “After I put those magic cuffs on? Huh?”

  Catherine sneer said it all. “I won’t touch your precious Vicky if that’s what it takes to make you agree. But Moira von Welf dies tonight.”

  Needed three things to happen.

  Needed Val to get her hands on Susan.

  Needed me in front of her.

  Needed to be within jumping distance from Paine.

  So . . . only one way I could think to do that and—what the fuck is that noise?

  That noise was about fifty fucking SUVS pulling up down the middle of the divide and on the other side of the highway, traveling the wrong damn way.

  If you say one thing about Horatio Vega . . . says he’s a devious fucktard.

  If you say a second thing about Horatio Vega . . . say he knows how to bring the fucking cavalry.

  Wasn’t nearly enough to offset what Paine had, since even the strongest werecoyote ain’t ever even gonna match a Wilder’s strength, but . . . the odds were suddenly a little less lopsided.

  The Coyote Nation had arrived.

  The Coyote Nation did not come as a bunch of stoned fuck-ups led by some cokehead named Jose.

  The King of the Coyotes came himself, with a solid two-hundred men from his personal guard.

  Two-hundred men armed with those machineguns T-Bone and me both hate so much.

  Well, some of them. Others were going feral as we spoke, dropping downing to four legs and already Shifting.

  The gesture was appreciated and I’m sure it will piss off Vega to know it, but the well-timed distraction was worth a fuck-ton more to me and Val than the numbers were. So . . . had instead Vega decided to skydive naked down into the middle of the battlelines, still would’ve been just as good.

  But two-hundred not-so-fuck-ups . . . how ‘bout that?

  Horatio Vega, never happy unless he’s the one surprising everyone else. Still . . . two-hundred not-so-fuck-ups, not bad. Shit . . . if I live through this I’ll have to pay his conniving, deceitful ass off all over again. Which is just the way Vega wants it . . .

  Was only a passing thought.

  Mostly I was focused in on what I needed to do.

  Focused in on separating Paine from Susan.

  Which is why I took that moment to chuck the Fakeshin Dim as hard as I could at Obadiah Paine’s face.

  Listen . . . I’m not a baseball player, okay?

  Maybe it hit his shoulder and bounced off instead of going up his throat like I was hoping it would. Just like with Vega’s arrival, key part was that it still distracted Paine even more from what he should have been doing.

  He let go of Susan to turn around and catch the fake World-Breaker with his gold-plated hand.

  The look on Paine’s face . . . I’m gonna remember that until the day I die. The triumph he felt. For all of a split second. Triumph over finally having what was his. What he was born to have. Even more, what he worked to make his for all those years since Ceinwyn dropped that mountain on him. Not just the triumph I remember. Was the turn his expression took. How triumph died. How it was replaced with fury.

  All week been like that. One moment something, then one moment something else. Again and again and again. Call it the Pit of No Return. Call it mutation. I was about to jump again. Jump like I never jumped before. But not yet. Paine’s expression wasn’t about anything I did at that moment, just about him realizing he’d been had. Realizing the Fakeshin Dim wasn’t a World-Breaker.

  Third time in his life I’d conned him.

  Back in that warehouse in Seattle dropping an earthquake on his ass.

  Having the World-Breaker on me in the Pit.

  Now this.

  And just like with Val, got us another Fuck Your Third Time’s the Charm.

  Going for Con The Paine Game Number Only.

  The only one that counted.

  The only one that would see him dead.

  Just needed to set it up.

  Just needed to make sure everyone else was safe before I pulled it.

  Guess the hour worth of anima inside of me will be plenty to start us off.

  Val dived forward in Susan’s direction almost immediately after the Fakeshin Dim left my finger tips. Grabbed Susan’s wrist and pulled her away from Paine as hard as she could. Still wasn’t a lot. Val’s a sizeable girl and was trained by Fines Samson just like all of us were, but Susan ain’t no tiny thing either. Yank only carried them a few feet and they had ten yards to cross just to return to Ceinwyn, then a whole lot more to reach the SUVs themselves. Which is all assuming no one trips or stumbles or aims a lightning bolt at my sister’s head.

  I had to get Paine and Catherine away from them. Had to put a barrier between my friends and that army. Didn’t have to be perfect, didn’t have to hold forever. Just long enough. Even more important, it had to be built quickly enough.

  First problem: Paine and Catherine.

  Answer: hour worth of anima dropped at my feet. Same conjuration I use for geo-surfing. Only caring less about moving just me on a board and caring more about moving the piece of earth I happen to inhabit a whole ten feet forward. Anima to break the asphalt, anima to disturb the dirt, anima to push and fling us. Piece of the earth such that it was, up and hopping like some ugly frog. Just one time before it went splat, but enough of an edge.

  I wasn’t the only one throwing conjurations of course. Catherine Hayes slashed the shit out of any piece of skin I had open to the air. Just paper-cuts all over the place. Back of my hands, my rosy cheeks, even my ears. Imagine a paper-cut or twenty on your ear. Yeah, it hurt. Also summoned herself an aero-cudgel, typical aeromancer defensive respons
e. Make a weapon to beat you with. Fuzzy bit of air pushed so tight it formed a club about a foot in length. More solid than you’d imagine it being. Hit someone on the forehead with one and it can knock them out.

  Paine acted too.

  Threw his golems after Val and Susan. Little spider-like things popped into life and scurried after them. Val could’ve fried them with some fire. Or at least tried. They were mostly metal after all and what wasn’t metal was geo-anima, neither of which burn very easily. Only Val’s counter was the same I went for when I first saw them back in Seattle, she unbuckled her GOB and dropped it at her feet.

  Last time I tried that it didn’t go so well for me.

  This time, the GOB was sturdier stuff.

  Also had it a robot jock.

  Had Mini at the helm.

  Might not have a sword or even a shield inside the GOB, but he did have hands made of triangular steel bits filed sharp enough to shave an Armenian girl’s asshole hairs.

  . . . What?

  They’re thick, okay?

  Could bungee jump with those things. All I’m saying.

  Bungee jumping Armenian girl asshole hairs.

  Not that I waited to see the outcome between Mini and the three spider golems.

  Got me one last look at Val, pushing Susan forward.

  One last look as some of the Wilders from Paine’s army threw all types of anima crafted into all forms of conjuration after them, trying to stop their flight. Belisarius and Winter both dove forward. Jesus and Pocket both threw SADs as far as they could, either creating pockets of darkness or light, each equally confusing to anyone glancing in their direction.

  Saw Vega back behind his line of vehicles, pointing all about him to get his Coyotes in place, guns being leveled. Saw other werecoyotes already losing themselves and charging forward on four legs, the fur on their backs bristled and their teeth shown behind snarling dog canine lips.

  So fucking awesome, part of me thought.

  Gonna have to miss it, it thought next.

  Think they’ll run?

  I hope so.

  Think you’ll come back to them?

  Planning on it.

  Second problem: need me a barrier to protect all of them.