Then I knew nothing more.
###
Cold.
That was the first thing I noticed.
I was really cold. I was wearing my sweater and coat, but I was still chilly, even though the room felt hot. Bit by bit my brain started to flicker into something that resembled life, and I realized that I was lying in a bed. I heard the rasp of my breath through my nostrils and dry mouth, and I felt the thrum of my pulse in my ears.
That was good. If I was breathing and had a heartbeat, I hadn’t become one of the myothar’s pet undead.
After a while, I managed to get my eyes open, and I turned my head to see where I was. I was in some sort of hospital room or infirmary. There was one other bed, currently unoccupied, and a long counter with a bunch of medical supplies. Next to the door was a chair, and in the chair sat Hailey Adams. She was wearing a red tank top and black shorts, and she had one long, toned leg folded over the other. A high-heeled sandal dangled from her foot, and her face was blank with concentration. I wondered if she was casting a spell, but then I saw that she had a book of word puzzles. Sudoku, it looked like.
Then she saw me staring, and she couldn’t hide the fear before her cold mask dropped into place.
“Well,” she said. “Looks like you’re not dead yet.”
“Looks that way,” I said. I sat up. I didn’t fall over, and my head didn’t spin, though my joints ached and I felt tired and hungry. “Where are we?”
“The infirmary at the warehouse,” said Hailey, watching me with icy wariness. “Sometimes the soldiers of the Revolution get injured or wounded, and Nicholas has Dr. Tocci or one of the other doctors treat them here.”
“Yeah, I bet he does,” I said, looking at my hand. There was no sign of the bite, and the skin and flesh looked healthy. The regeneration spell had burned away the poison of the undead creature’s bite. I patted myself down, checking for other injuries, but other than the fatigue and the joint pain, I was fine. That was a relief. I had been afraid I would wake up to find myself drugged and chained to the wall in one of the brothels the Rebels kept for their soldiers.
I guess Nicholas really, really wanted to know whatever I had learned in Chicago.
“You sound surprised,” said Hailey. “Don’t you think Nicholas would take care of his wounded soldiers?”
“I thought he would just feed them to his pet anthrophages.”
“Whatever,” said Hailey, disdain filling her tone. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Nicholas is a great man. He would never betray his people.”
“Uh-huh,” I said. I had better give it a minute before I tried to stand up. “Yeah, he’s all about the loyalty, Nicky is.”
“Like you would know,” snapped Hailey. “You betrayed him. He would have killed Duke Wraithmyr for his crimes, but you betrayed Nicholas and the other members of the Revolution to the Inquisition.”
“That’s one way of looking at it,” I said. “How long was I out?”
Hailey said nothing for a minute, glaring at me. “Three days.”
“Three?” I said. “Good Lord.”
Hailey smirked. “I’ll say this for you. You really upset that asshole Swathe. He thought Nicholas would blame him if you died.”
“So, what are you doing here?” I said. “Were you going to smother me with a pillow?”
“I thought about it,” said Hailey.
“Inefficient,” I said. “If you want to smother someone in their sleep, use a wet washcloth. It’s way less work.”
Hailey blinked and then shook her head. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Oh, lots and lots and lots of things,” I said. I got to my feet and didn’t fall over. “You still didn’t say why you were here.”
“Nicholas wanted you watched 24/7 until
you woke up,” said Hailey. “Dr. Tocci needed a break, so I volunteered.”
“That was nice of you,” I said.
“Dr. Tocci’s the nicest one here,” said Hailey. “She’s the one who recruited me into the Revolution. Nicholas’s other lieutenants are just dumb thugs, and that jerk Corbisher is the worst of them.” Her mouth twisted with distaste. “I know Nicholas needs them now, but he won’t for much longer.”
“Good for them,” I said. “Where’s Nicholas? I should probably talk to him.”
Hailey scowled. “Are you even human?”
“That doesn’t answer my question,” I said.
Hailey sneered, tossed her puzzle book onto the table next to her chair, and stood up. She was taller than I was. Why did everyone have to be taller than I was?
“Are you even human?” she said.
“Last time I checked,” I said.
“You’re way stronger with magic than someone our age should be,” said Hailey. “And I saw inside your mind.” That flicker of fear returned to her face before she got it under control again. “You died. You died a bunch of times. I know what a fake memory looks like, and I know how to implant them with the mindtouch spell. All of your memories were real. You died. So. What are you?"
“Impatient for this conversation to end,” I said.
Hailey’s scowl deepened as she folded her arms over her chest. “Were you really with Nicholas?”
A wave of irritation and irrational jealousy went over me. I mean, I didn’t want Nicholas back, and if I could find a way to do it, I was going to kill him. I shouldn’t have cared what he did. But it did bother me a little that he had replaced me with someone prettier, curvier, blonder, and (worst of all) taller than me. It annoyed me to no end that I felt that way, especially after what I had just endured in the Eternity Crucible, but emotions aren’t rational.
“Yes,” I said. “I was young and stupid back then.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re two or three years younger than I am, I think.”
“No, I’m not.”
“So how old are you?” said Hailey.
“One hundred and seventy-nine,” I said.
“Fine,” said Hailey. “Don’t answer me. But I’m watching you. I know you betrayed Nicholas once before. I know he needs you now. But the minute I think you’re going to betray him again, I’m going to kill you.”
“Tell you what.” I grinned at her. “Why don’t you look inside my head right now and tell me what I’m thinking? Go on. I won’t stop you. Look inside my head again and see what happens.”
“Don’t threaten me,” said Hailey. “Once I convince Nicholas that we don’t need you any more, you’re dead. You’ll be dead like that.” She snapped her fingers.
“Yeah, because he loves you so much,” I said.
“What would you know about it?” said Hailey. “You betrayed him, and now you can’t have him.”
“I don’t…” I gave a shake of my head. “For God’s sake. You can have him. He’s a murdering liar who doesn’t care about anything but his own legacy, and you are welcome to every single inch of him.”
Hailey was spared the need to think up a rejoinder when the door opened. Dr. Andrea Tocci stepped into the infirmary and looked at us, blinking.
“Ah,” she said. “Miss Stoker. You’re awake. How are you feeling?”
“Just wonderful,” I said.
“Nicholas will want to know right away,” said Dr. Tocci.
“I’ll tell him,” said Hailey.
Without another word, she disappeared into the hallway, the heels of her sandals slapping against the carpet.
“I don’t think she likes me,” I said.
“No,” said Dr. Tocci. “She does not.” She peered at me, blinking her dark eyes. She was wearing a loose white shirt and tan jeans and seemed surprised to see me. “I think you should have a seat.”
“Nope,” I said. “I’m going to see Nicholas.”
“You are probably not in very good shape at the moment,” said Dr. Tocci.
She was right.
“I’m fine,” I said. “Three days of sleep and I’m right as rain.”
“You were unc
onscious when they carried you in here,” said Dr. Tocci. “Your body temperature was eighty degrees Fahrenheit. Your pulse was about thirty beats a minute, sometimes a little less. By rights, you should be dead. At the minimum, you should be brain-dead, or in a coma. Instead, you’re on your feet and shooting off your mouth.”
“Magic,” I said.
“You didn’t need a nutrient drip,” said Dr. Tocci, “and you didn’t even need a bed pan.”
“Just as well. I didn’t bring a spare pair of pants. That would have been embarrassing. Thanks for looking out for me, but I do need to get to work.”
“At least let me examine you,” said Dr. Tocci. “There could be side effects you don’t know about.”
She had a point, but there was no way that was happening. “Thanks, but no.”
“Then just have some water,” said Dr. Tocci. She stepped past me, reached into the cabinet, and drew out a bottle of water. “If you haven’t eaten anything or drank any water for the last there days, you should rehydrate.”
I laughed. “Seriously? You think I’m that stupid?”
Tocci blinked. “I don’t understand.”
“I know how the Rebels operate,” I said. “That water’s probably drugged. Either with something addictive so Nicholas can control me, or a sedative so I won’t put up much of a fight. I know how the Rebels keep women locked up and hand them out as rewards for their soldiers. So, no, I’m not going to let you treat me, and I’m not going to drink or eat anything you give to me. We clear on that, Dr. Tocci?”
She surprised me then.
She got angry.
“How dare you judge me,” she said. “You don’t have the slightest idea of what you’re talking about. You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know the kind of company you keep,” I said. “Nicholas Connor and Martin Corbisher…”
“Nicholas Connor is a great man,” said Tocci.
“For God’s sake,” I said. “Does Hailey know you feel that way? If she does, maybe she can fret about you stealing away her psychotic boyfriend instead of me.”
“Nicholas freed me,” said Tocci.
“From what?” I said.
“Slavery,” spat Tocci, a fire in her dark eyes.
“You’re a doctor,” I said. “How does a doctor end up as a slave?”
“I made a mistake,” said Tocci. “I drank too much and hurt some people in a car accident. They were all right in the end, but…the laws about such things are strict. Forty lashes on Punishment Day. So, they stripped me naked in front of the crowd, tied me to the post, and gave me forty lashes. After that, my reputation was ruined, and I lost my license. I didn’t have money to pay my fine, and so to pay the fine, I was sold into slavery to Duke Rhanatar of Denver.” Her face twisted with anger and pain. “I was younger and prettier then, and if one of his men-at-arms pleased him, the Duke gave me to them as a reward. He let them do whatever they wanted to me, and I wasn’t the only one. I lived like that for years, little more than an animal. Then Nicholas rescued me, and I’ve followed him ever since.” Her nostrils flared. “You were the one who ruined the operation against Duke Wraithmyr, weren’t you?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Don’t you dare treat me with contempt,” said Tocci. “Not when you’re a collaborator. Nicholas would have killed Wraithmyr in front of the crowd, and the people would have seen that the Elves aren’t invincible, that they can be beaten.”
“Oh, really,” I said. “Did Nicholas happen to mention how he was going to assassinate the Duke?”
“A small bomb.”
“A small bomb?” I said, incredulous. “I saw his plans. I saw his bombs. The explosion would have leveled the stadium. There were a hundred thousand people there to watch the soccer match. Nicholas would have killed them all.”
“You’re a liar,” said Tocci. “Or dumb enough that you didn’t understand what kind of explosives you saw. Nicholas is a great man, and he’s going to defeat the Elves and free humanity.”
“Yeah,” I said. “And what about the people the ‘small bomb’ would have killed?”
“Collaborators,” said Tocci. “They would have deserved it.”
“All the children there, too?” I said, and I saw Tocci flinch at that. “Were they collaborators? And what about the Dark Ones? Have you been to Venomhold? Have you seen the kinds of things that are allied to Nicholas?”
Tocci took an unsteady breath. “I admit the Dark Ones and their cultists are…unpleasant. And dangerous. But this is war. We have to do unpleasant and dangerous things to achieve victory in war.”
“That’s always the excuse, isn’t it?” I said.
“You’re in no position to judge me,” said Tocci. “You’re a collaborator.”
“I am not,” I said.
“Yes, you are,” said Tocci. “Nicholas told Hailey, and Hailey told me. You’re the shadow agent of some Elven lord or another. You work for the Elves willingly.”
“Not willingly,” I said. “What, do you think I went to a jobs site on the Internet and applied for the position of shadow agent? I was recruited, and I didn’t have much choice in the matter.”
“But you could work for the Revolution,” said Tocci. “You could help us so much. We don’t have anyone with skills like yours. Nicholas and some of the other wizards are powerful, but not like you. They can’t do the things that you can. Just think of all the things you could do to help free humanity.”
“The Elves are terrible, and the High Queen is a tyrant,” I said. I pointed at her. “The Rebels are worse.”
“How dare you say that,” said Tocci. “After what they did to me…”
“Yeah, well, that sucks,” I said. I suppose I should have been more sympathetic, but one of the nasty side effects of surviving the Eternity Crucible was that it had burned all the empathy out of me. “The Elves and Duke Rhanatar did a terrible thing to you, but maybe you shouldn’t have drunk so much. But I’ve seen the Rebels set off bombs that killed children and pregnant women.”
“Nicholas didn’t do that,” said Tocci. “You stopped his plan, and…”
“It was one of his lieutenants, and one of his plans,” I said. “I saw an Archon attack. The Rebels opened the gates. The Rebels invited the Archons here, and they killed hundreds of people, and they carried off more as captives. I’ve seen Venomhold, I’ve fought a Dark One, and I’ve seen the kind of allies Nicholas has made. The Elves are tyrants. The Rebels are mass murdering terrorists. At least the Elves leave most people alone if they follow the laws and pay their taxes.”
“You are a collaborator,” said Tocci.
“I’m not on the Elves’ side,” I said. “I’m not on your side. I’m…” I started to say that I was on Russell’s side, but that would have been stupid. “I’m on my side.”
“Your side,” said Tocci with scorn. “Then you’re looking out for yourself and no one else.”
“Well, no one else is going to look out for me, so I might as well do it.”
“Then you are beneath contempt,” said Tocci.
“Hey,” I said. “Tell you what. The next time you talk to Nicholas, ask him how many people this big plan of his is going to kill. Go on, ask him. He’ll spin some grand lie about how he doesn’t want to kill anyone. But he doesn’t care about that. He doesn’t care about anything but Nicholas Connor and the legend he intends to carve across history. That’s all.”
Tocci scoffed. “Hailey is right. He did leave you, and you’re bitter about it. That’s all it is.”
“And you think I’m blind to the truth,” I said. “Believe whatever you want, Dr. Tocci.”
“You could do such good for the Revolution,” said Tocci in a quiet voice. “You…”
The door opened again, and Hailey stuck her head through the door.
“Having a nice talk?” she said with a hard-edged smile. “I could hear you down the hall.”
“Yeah, loads of fun,” I said. “What?”
“Nicholas w
ants you,” said Hailey.
I couldn’t resist. “Obviously.”
Hailey’s expression turned cold and hard. “Very funny. He wants to talk to you about Chicago.” She smirked at me. “I hope you had fun the first time because you’re going back very, very soon.”
Chapter 11: Planning Phases
I followed Hailey to the stairs.
“What, no elevator?” I said.
She gave me a baleful look as she opened the door. “The stairs burn calories. Some of us are concerned about staying in shape.”
I resisted the urge to laugh as we started up the stairs. This was ridiculous. Hailey thought I was competing with her for Nicholas, no matter what I said. We were in the middle of a life-and-death struggle, and Hailey still wanted to play stupid interpersonal games with me…and I was annoyed enough that I played them right back.
I couldn’t stop myself. I did laugh that time.
“What?” snapped Hailey, glaring at me.
“We’re all idiots, you know that?” I said.
“You’re insane,” said Hailey.
“Well,” I said. “You’re not wrong.”
“What did Nicholas ever see in you?” said Hailey as we climbed to the top floor. “Were you like this when he met you?”
“No,” I said. “I was a bit less crazy back then.”
“Then what happened to you?” said Hailey.
I grinned at her. “I died a whole lot.”
That shut her up, thankfully.
We entered Nicholas’s office. Nicholas sat at his desk, its surface covered with books and papers, his computer monitor displaying what looked like a terrain map of somewhere in the western United States. Colorado, I thought, or maybe Wyoming. Nicholas shut off the display as we approached and regarded us with a cool gaze. No doubt he enjoyed the sight of watching his current girlfriend and his ex-girlfriend walking up to him at the same time.
Hailey transformed around him.
Cloak Games: Tomb Howl Page 14