“I like the lady who runs this place and her family,” he said as he scanned them. He settled his eyes on the two men, who pretended to be interested in something else. “Anyone who wants to hurt them will end up just like their friends in the alley.”
The men looked at him and turned pale. He waited until they turned away then left, making Ellie walk beside him.
As Randy had told him, it was easy to find General Cooper’s wagons. They had no more than got out of town when on his right there was a field that looked like it had been plowed by a madman. Deep ruts crisscrossed each other, and one set of wide ruts ran to a section of crushed stone fence. Something very heavy had come though here.
In the middle of the field, what looked to be strangely built houses were clustered together. The smaller ones he took to be tractors, by Jeni’s description. The larger ones were over twice the size of those. Round chimneys billowed dark smoke behind their square end, while in the middle an angular section sported three thick pipes before the front sloped down in a wedge. The large machines sat on wide, tall wheels that were belted together.
Struggling through the deep ruts, he and Ellie made their way to the center of the field where he now saw the tractors had two or three wagons behind them. By one large wooden wagon, smiths had an anvil and forge set up. Inside the wagon, steel bars hung on the wall and thick plates of steel covered the floor. Another was a portable kitchen. Asking the way, he found General Cooper in the large square shack atop one of the steel behemoths.
Despite Tayan’s clothing, General Cooper recognized him.
“Lord Tayan,” he grinned then swept his eyes over his attire. “Why are you sneaking about as a commoner?”
“Long story,” he said, shaking the general’s hand. “I need your services.”
“I have half my payment, and your credit is good,” Cooper said with a bow. “What can I do for you, M’lord.”
“I heard you want to test these machines. I need to go north to the plains. If possible, I would rather not go through the city,” he explained.
A glint of excitement shone in General Cooper’s eyes. “The plains? I can think of no better challenge. As far as going through the city, we can’t. No bridge will hold my battlewagons. We will have to go way north to the beginnings of the Jude, unless you know another way.”
Looking out over the top of the gigantic steel body, he hoped the bridge he was thinking of would hold such heavy machines.
“Actually, I do. There's an ancient bridge which spans the Jude River a hundred miles north of the city. How fast can we get there?”
Cooper frowned in thought. “Well, let’s say decent terrain and no problems, we can be there tomorrow morning.”
“A hundred miles, overnight?” Switching horses, messengers might make a hundred miles in a full day of travel. He couldn't imagine these things going half that speed.
“The boilers are still hot, and we have a few hours of daylight left,” Cooper said. “I’d say fifty or sixty today, and the rest first thing in the morning.”
After all his bad luck in recent days, it was hard to believe something was going right.
“That’s good news. I’m ready to go whenever you are.”
General Cooper turned to one of his officers. “Captain Stark, sound assembly. We shall be leaving in the hour.”
Above them, a harsh whistle blasted. Täyan watched as the chaotic array of men and machines quickly packed up. When the lead tractors started moving, they squealed and chugged. The battlewagon ahead of them pulled out, and he felt the thumping chugs of its workings in his feet as it lumbered off. In little time, the wagons formed a long line of steel and smoke.
On the road, a company of knights blocked their path. A halt was called, and General Cooper went to the front to see who had stopped them. When he came back, Amber and Sir Parson were with him.
Upon seeing Tayan, Amber’s face lit up. He climbed down the ladder to greet her, and somehow they ended up in a hug.
“We are so glad to find you, M’lord,” Sir Parson offered.
Amber pulled back and grinned at him like a schoolgirl. “I knew you’d be here! We caught the fake, so you can go back now.”
He considered doing just that. Thinking about it for a second, he knew whoever planned his kidnapping was still around. As long as they thought he was alive they wouldn’t stop looking for him.
“No,” he decided, “I have a much better idea.”
He explained his plan to them.
Chapter 19
Aliana sat on the edge of her throne, grinning with joy. “You are sure of this?”
The elf in the peasant clothes nodded. “The official story that Lord Parnal and Lord Tolham spread is that he was killed by an assassin. I did some digging around and found out he was shot by a guard on the west end of the city the same day he escaped from our wizards. Apparently, he tried to get to safety, but he was caught at the gates and your gargoyle showed up. He fled from there and was leaving the city when they found him again. I talked to a knight who only would confirm that the man who murdered the wizard and his daughter was killed while fleeing.”
This was too good to be true, Tayan slain by his own people! “Did you see his body?”
The elf shook his head. “He was dumped in a common grave to the southwest of the city. I went there, and the workers told me about a man who fit his description being buried. I was not allowed to dig him up and see for myself.”
She knew this elf was trustworthy, and he made sure his facts were straight before he reported anything to her. “Very well. Keep a close watch on the people he was near. This may be a trick.”
The elf bowed. “As you wish, Master. If anyone even mentions his name, my network will hear of it.”
She knew her Tayan duplicate had been caught at about the same time. His loss was a setback but not too important. “You are certain it was not Necron who was buried?”
“Absolutely. I saw Necron. He is being held under close guard and interrogated. Would you like me to have him killed?”
She shook her head. “No, let him suffer for getting caught. He doesn’t know enough to be a danger to us.”
“Yes, Master. Any other orders?”
“No, just keep an eye on that elven army.”
The elf bowed and departed. Behind him, two men carrying a third in a bloody gray shift moved up to her. The man in the middle kept his head down, hiding his pale face.
“Ahhh, Lash,” she grinned. “Did you enjoy your whipping?”
Lash muttered, “Yes, Master.”
She beckoned the men to bring him closer. When he was right in front of her, she tilted his head up and looked into his eyes. The vacant look pleased her. “Those little things between your legs, you miss them?”
Lash swallowed, squinting as he recalled his castration. “Yes, Master,” he choked.
“You were a good servant and wonderfully sadistic. That is the only reason you are still alive,” she cooed. “In fact, I will give you a chance to redeem yourself, if you are man enough.” She stressed the last part.
“I live to serve you,” he said tightly.
Watching her fingers, she gently rubbed his jaw line. “You have one last chance to kill Zodiac. Destroy him and his army, and I will give you back your status--and your shriveled little sack. Fail, and it will be best if you die on the battlefield.”
Hope sparked in his eyes. “I will not fail, Master.”
Aliana whisked her hand at the men holding him. “Get him cleaned up and into a uniform then brief him. Go!”
***
“You can’t do that!” Odif barked at Frieda as she glared at her.
Mother Frieda had waited until morning, when Odif had had time to recover and heal, before she informed her of their decision. The whole group now circled around had agreed, even Sam.
“You got lucky once,” she scolded. “I know our enemy better than you do. I did not come to this decision myself, we all agreed on it.”
Sam looked up at Odif sadly. “She thought I was alone and was not prepared to deal with all of us. She will not make the same mistake twice.”
“I can’t believe this!” Odif said, throwing her arms up. “This is my mission. You just came along. How in the abyss can you take over as team leader?”
“We are still a team,” Scorpio insisted.
Odif gawked at him. “What team? There is something I have to do--me! None of you had to come!”
Jo-Jo crowded in a bit closer. “When you told us where you were going, don’t you think we understood? Whether you like it or not, we are a team. No one is going to let you stand against that demon alone.”
“No shit,” Shilo snorted. “You are one big pain in the ass, but we all love you.”
“Yeah, even if you are nuts!” Theo piped up.
“Don’t think we can’t knock you senseless and leave you here,” Gloredaniel told her.
Betrayal was the only thing she felt as she looked at the faces of her friends. Odif hadn’t wanted them to suffer her fate, but they had insisted on coming. Now, she had to put a stop to it. She gave a heavy sigh. “All right, you win.”
Sam’s brow furrowed. “No! You are not going to slip away and go by yourself. You have taught me well--I can sense you no matter where you are. We will all stand a better chance if we don’t have to chase after you.”
Odif had forgotten the half-demon could read minds. “I saved your ass, do you forget that?”
Sam’s face became softer. “You did save me. You gave me something I thought I would never have--friendship. For the first time in my life, I belong.” She laid her hands on Odif’s shoulders. “As your friend, I will not let you go without me.”
“Even if it kills you?”
“We both know that is certain.”
“You are taking this fight too personally,” Jo-Jo told her. “Mother Frieda has a cooler head, and that is what we need.”
Scorpio moved closer to Sam so he could look Odif in the eye. “We are in the fight of our lives,” he stressed. “We need to stick together.”
“We can banish this thing to the abyss, as long as we work as one,” Frieda added.
Odif felt tears form in her eyes. The outpouring of love and support, not just from Sam but from everyone else in the circle, overwhelmed her. If it had been a different time and place she would have shown her own love in a more physical way. This time, she didn’t lie when she said, “All right, Mother Frieda is team leader.”
Scorpio nudged Sam with an elbow. “Well?”
“She’s telling the truth.”
Frieda gave a satisfied huff. “Now that’s settled, let’s finish what we started.”
They went on their way. The only thing changed was that now when Odif decided the general direction, Mother Frieda chose the course. Unlike Odif, she led the group around heavier thickets and swamps, much to everyone’s relief.
As they traveled, the ground became smoother. The vegetation shortened, and more fields of tall grass dominated the landscape. Another day, and the terrain became a sea of grass, the small rises flowing into the distance like waves on a living ocean.
Every night now, Sam would awake to find Odif gone. Some nights, Scorpio would also be missing; other nights she noted that it was another man. Early one morning, she found both Theo and Hutch had disappeared. Subtle changes in the men got her attention. Entaurus seemed to be a bit friendlier to Odif, and the comments aimed at her from Theo and Hutch were the same but were now spoken with a hint of affection.
During a mid-day break, Frieda announced they were going to rest until night while Gloredaniel sought out news of happenings elsewhere. People going off to check the area was common. Sam thought nothing of it when Jo-Jo walked off with Odif. What got her attention was Scorpio’s mood. He was clearly very upset Odif was leaving with the wizard. The only outward sign was his scowling glance at them as they left. She felt his anger smolder until he excused himself and walked off the way them had gone.
Knowing his thoughts were full of violence, Sam followed him. She was careful to stay quiet and cloud her presence, not that he was paying attention to anything but seeking out Odif. Shortly after he passed down into a shallow valley, he tipped his head, listening.
Sam heard it, too--off to her left, a male and a female voice chorused moaning cries. When Scorpio drew his sword and raced that way, Sam stayed behind him. The shift in his mood was hard to follow--he was very upset, traces of fear laced his anger. She wanted to stop him and ask what was wrong, but intuition told her not to.
They came around a curve and found Odif sitting over Jo-Jo. Their clothes were in a pile next to them. Neither saw Scorpio; they were engrossed in each other. Sweat poured from their faces as they coupled.
Sam’s jaw dropped. She knew people did this but had never seen it. Motion from Scorpio got her attention: he walked towards them and drew back his sword. Hatred and betrayal radiated from him as he took aim at Odif’s neck.
“Nooo!” Sam screeched as she dove for him. Her yell startled everyone. Odif turned her head to see Scorpio, and Scorpio paused for an instant. In that instant, Sam grabbed his wrist with both of hers to keep him from swinging.
She was thrown around like a rag doll as he yanked and pulled, attempting to break her grip. She clung tenaciously as he tried to shake her loose. In one long swing, he brought her off the ground, feet flying behind her. The move took him off-balance as well, and they crashed to the ground.
Green power flowed, the grass wrapped around them, pinning them to the ground. Sam tried to move away from the blade that was touching the side of her head; she was only concerned with survival at this point. Scorpio was crying and screaming.
“How could you do this to me!” he wailed. “I loved you! Let me up! Let me up, you whore!” His yells broke down into miserable sobs.
He didn’t notice as Sam was freed and helped to her feet. Jo-Jo used magic to lift the sword from his now-limp hands. Even after Odif released the grass around him, he just lay there and cried.
Odif stared down at him, shocked and furious. “What in the abyss were you doing? You were going to kill me, weren’t you!”
Jo-Jo grabbed her shoulder and pulled her away, getting between them. Looking down at Scorpio, he gave a sigh. “I’m sorry, I really am,” He thought about saying more then decided against it. Holding Scorpio’s sword, he gathered his clothes and started back towards the camp.
With Jo-Jo gone, Sam edged between, hoping with all her heart that one wasn’t going to attack the other. She partly understood. Scorpio considered Odif his mate, but Odif wasn’t as attached to him as he was to her.
“Are you proud of yourself?” Odif snapped as she grabbed her clothes.
Quieting, Scorpio sat upright as if it was all he could do to move. He glared at her, red-faced. “I thought we loved each other. You were supposed to be mine.”
“I don’t belong to anyone,” Odif told him sternly. “As for you and me, you never asked for any kind of commitment!” She stepped closer, flinging her arm around as she scolded him. “You thought it was so great that I didn’t want a wedding ring just to have sex--do you forget that? I gave you what you wanted, whenever you wanted it. How dare you interrupt me when I’m with someone else!”
Scorpio shot to his feet. “You shouldn’t be with someone else!”
“I do as I damn well please!” Odif retorted.
“Great! You no longer do it with me!”
“Fine!”
“Yeah, fine!”
Sam looked back and forth, wondering which one would leap first. She had been taught how to handle a foe, but what was she going to do if her two friends started fighting? She was scared and confused. It seemed everyone was wrong, but then again no one was. Scorpio had one line of thought, and Odif another. Both believed they were right. How did things like this get started? Holding her arms out as if to keep them separate, she cried out, “Please, stop it!”
Odif stomped into her s
horts then waved her shirt at Scorpio. “See he gets back to camp!”
She yanked her shorts in place then ran after Jo-Jo.
“I want nothing more to do with you!” he screamed after her. Fists balled at his sides, face red with heartbreak, he strode off in the other direction.
Sam was greatly relieved no one got hurt. She did note he was headed the wrong way. Hurrying up beside him, she pointed out the right direction. “Our camp is that way.”
“I’m going back,” he grated between his tears.
She didn’t have to read his mind to get the events he was reliving--he was broadcasting them. Very clearly, he remembered every time Odif mated with him, every time he fought with her, every detail down to how sweetly she smiled at him. Once he ran out of memories, he played them over again.
“I’m sorry you hurt. It’s not safe to go anywhere by yourself,” she protested.
“Maybe I’ll meet a vlak.”
“You don’t even have a sword,” she reminded him.
“So what!”
“What will killing yourself solve?” she cried. “I can feel how bad it hurts, but--”
He stopped and whirled on her. “How can you possibly know how I feel?”
As she looked into his eyes, she knew. The only reason he had come was to be with Odif. All the fighting and putting up with his brother was to be beside the woman he loved. He wasn’t here for his beliefs, but for Odif; she had become everything he lived for. Tears formed in her own eyes.
“I am so sorry,” She tried to hug him and he slapped her arms away.
“Just leave me alone!” He turned away and stomped off.
Since she had met her new friends, Sam had stayed calm and tried as hard as she could, even though her anger threatened to erupt from time to time. She thought the evil had no part in her new life, so each time she felt the bad start to rise she shoved it back down. It was rising with a vengeance now, and she let it boil over.
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