“You shouldn’t have anticipated me,” said the cat’s deep voice. “You know I’m not the bearer of glad tidings.”
“Tell that to Sammy,” he joked. Over the last year, the goddamn cat had taken to staying at his mother’s house, and his cousin Sammy had been pampering the demigod without realizing he was anything but an ordinary stray.
“I cannot. I will not be seeing her again, or you. This is my farewell.”
He didn’t like the sound of that. “I thought cats didn’t say goodbye.”
“They don’t talk either,” observed the Cath Bawlg, “but you should consider it an honor as I rarely give notice before resuming my travels.”
“Where are you going?”
“Away. Death looms close upon me in this world. If I am to continue, it will be elsewhere.”
Will frowned. “But you’re immortal.”
“I am immortal, but not eternal. Though I do not die easily, there are beings able to accomplish the task. One of them prepares to do so.”
Will mentally ran through the cat’s list of enemies: elves, sorcerers, fae, and demons. There was only one obvious choice. “A demon-lord,” he announced. “How do you know?”
“You should be aware by now that I can see probabilities.”
“The future.”
“Possibilities,” corrected the demigod. “My survival is unlikely if I remain.”
Will felt suddenly alone, as though a cold wind had blown through his soul. Though his relationship with the Cath Bawlg didn’t really exceed that of a friendly acquaintance, he had thought of the demigod as something like a secret protector. The cat never admitted it, and his assistance always came unasked for and unbidden, but he’d saved Will’s life more than once. Whatever was powerful enough to scare the immortal away was certain to be bad news for lesser beings.
“And mine?” asked Will. “Will I survive?”
“No. Your death is far more certain than my own. I have come to offer advice, as a measure of my fondness.”
He already knew what would come next. “Let me guess. Give up, go home. Take my friends and family somewhere safe.”
“There is nowhere that is safe,” said the Cath Bawlg in a gloomy tone. “But you could survive in relative peace, before the end.”
“Then end,” repeated Will. “If we’re talking about demons, you’re referring to something like what happened to your world, right?”
“You’ve gotten smarter, wizard.”
Wizard, not wizardling, noted Will. Is he giving me a compliment?
“You can consider it such. I am not one for empty flattery.”
“You told me before you couldn’t read thoughts!” Will exclaimed.
The goddamn cat began cleaning one paw. “I see probabilities. They make it easy to guess what you’re thinking.”
“So, you’re smart enough to guess my thoughts, and to run when danger looms,” said Will sourly.
“I am given to understand that I am exceptionally intelligent, not to mention handsome, compared to most felines, though it shouldn’t be surprising, considering my origin.”
“Who told you that?”
“An authority among your kind.”
Will knew immediately. “Sammy.”
“She is far smarter than most of your perpetually befuddled race. She was the first among your household to realize how to properly appreciate me,” said the Cath Bawlg.
“I fed you,” argued Will.
“Have you ever had roast pork?”
Will fell silent. What the hell?
“You have, and yet you never offered me any. Normally I prefer my food still warm and moving, but roast pork was a revelation. Perhaps you understand the gap between you and her now. Your cousin is a woman of divinely inspired sensibilities. I will regret leaving your world more since gaining that knowledge. If only I had learned of it centuries ago.”
“And what about Sammy? You’re fine with leaving her to die too? You’ll miss the roast pork more?” he asked angrily.
The goddamn cat gave it some thought before finally answering. “Yes, the pork is definitely my biggest regret. Your cousin would be my second greatest regret.”
“And me?”
“Somewhere between eggs and raw fish.”
“Really?”
“You should feel honored. In my time I’ve even been forced to eat rotten flesh, and yet few mortals rate higher than that in my opinion.”
Will couldn’t maintain his anger. He’d been angry for days, maybe weeks. Being with his friends had released a lot of his tension, and he wasn’t capable of reclaiming it. He began to laugh. “I guess I should be grateful.” A moment later, he made a declaration. “I don’t care if it’s hopeless. I’m going to fight. Do I have any chance at all?”
“Without me? None.”
“Then help me! If not for my sake, at least for Sammy’s!”
“Think, human. It shouldn’t be too hard. What do you think the circumstances of my death will be? It’s almost impossible to capture a being that can see future possibilities, otherwise I would not have survived so long.”
It came to him a second later. “You’ll die trying to help me.” The silence stretched out for an untold time, but the goddamn cat never answered. Eventually, Will spoke again, “I understand now. I wouldn’t ask that of you.”
“If it’s any consolation, your chances only improve a small amount even with my help.”
“That’s something at least.”
“For you. Your odds improve, mine become almost nonexistent. Even if you win, I will be unlikely to survive to revel in it. Don’t blame yourself, though. You’ve come far in the short time you’ve had to explore your power. You just don’t have the strength needed yet.”
“You called me a wizard. That means something,” Will said firmly.
“It does. You merit the title now. In another year, perhaps less—things might be different.”
Will stared at his feet for a moment, then answered, “You’re wrong.”
“Doubtful.”
He fixed the goddamn cat in his gaze. “Stick around long enough to find out. Even without your help, I’ll give this demon-lord a kick so hard he’ll be tasting his balls for the rest of his very short life.”
The Cath Bawlg hissed, an entirely feline expression that Will had trouble interpreting. Then his voice rumbled out, questioning, “Have you found your first talent yet, wizard? What is it?”
“I guess you haven’t been watching me very well then.”
“What is it? Is it prescience? If so, then maybe…”
“No. It isn’t anything like that,” admitted Will.
“Too bad,” said the demigod. “Your confidence made me wonder. If I thought you had better knowledge of the coming days than I do, I might have changed my decision.” He rose to his paws and began to walk farther away, into the gloom.
“What do I tell Sammy when I see her? She’s going to be looking for you.”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“It’s better if she thinks me an ordinary stray, one that simply wandered off. It’s as close to the truth as anything else.”
Will walked back to the others with his head filled with dark thoughts. They relaxed when they saw him, though they could tell he wasn’t pleased. “Bad news?” asked Tiny.
“Demons,” said Will.
“Again?” said Tiny. “You already have a vampire following you. That’s enough danger for most people.”
Janice asked the most pertinent question. “Where are these demons?”
“No idea,” said Will. “But we’re probably going to find them at the worst time, while we’re fighting a war here in Darrow.”
“Was that the cat you met with?” she asked.
He nodded.
Janice brightened. “Did he give you some sort of advice? I remember you saying he mentioned cleaning last time. Maybe a clue to help you fight them?”
“I’m not sure,” said Will evasive
ly. “He was sort of cryptic.”
“Tell us what he said,” urged Janice. “Maybe we can figure it out together.” Her eyes moved from him to Tiny and back again, showing a simple faith in their combined ability to overcome adversity together. The realization made Will’s chest grow tight.
“Umm, I’m not allowed to repeat it to anyone, otherwise it won’t work,” he improvised.
“But you just said you don’t know what it meant,” noted Tiny.
Will nodded. “That’s part of what makes it so confusing.” Neither of his friends looked happy at his non-explanation, so he decided to simply fabricate something. “I can’t say much, but whenever it all goes to hell, don’t try to help me until you see the cat. No matter how bad it seems, just run away. You’ll know it’s time to fight when the goddamn cat appears. Got it?”
Tiny crossed his arms stubbornly. “If I see some demon attack you, I’m not going to just stand around.”
He glared at his friend. “You will if you want to win. Actually, it’s worse than that. You have to run when I tell you to.”
Janice wasn’t buying it. “That makes no sense.”
Will nodded. “I don’t like it either, but you have to run when I say to. The cat will show up after that, and that’s when you’ll know it’s time to come back and save me.”
She and Tiny looked at each other uncertainly, then she responded, “I think you’re making things up.”
He shook his head. “Now you see what I mean. He told me not to say anything because you wouldn’t do it if I told you beforehand.”
“Is there someone else I can talk to?” asked Janice, pretending to look over his shoulder. “Someone with better sense?”
Will smirked. “Sorry, Selene isn’t around at the moment.”
They resumed riding after that, and Will’s two friends let their mounts drop back a short distance. Whether they thought it was far enough that he couldn’t hear them, or they simply didn’t care, he couldn’t be sure, but they were soon talking quietly to each other. “What do you think?” Janice asked.
Tiny was unabashed and direct with his opinion. “It didn’t make sense. He was trying to imply we’d run away if he didn’t tell us, but we wouldn’t if he did. That’s ass backwards. I wouldn’t abandon him either way.”
She nodded. “Exactly. He’s an idiot.”
Will couldn’t take it anymore. Raising his voice, he turned and addressed them, “I can hear everything you’re saying.”
Janice stood in her stirrups and responded even louder, “Who do you think I was talking to? Dimwit!”
Chapter 41
They continued through the night, though it never got quite dark enough for his friends to need a rope to keep from losing him. An hour after dawn, they saw the river, and soon after, the bridge that led across to the crossroad. Soon enough they would be able to meet up with First Division, since they should be close by.
There was no sign of either the First or the Third when they reached the crossroad. They stopped for a break, and while Tiny stood beside Thunderturnip, feeding the horse his favorite snack, he asked, “Where did the Patriarch come up with so many soldiers?”
Will had been lost in his own thoughts, so he was caught off-guard. “Huh?”
“You said that all the intelligence indicated they were short on men, yet they had enough to send First Division running with their tail tucked between their legs, and even with Third Division they couldn’t turn the tide,” said Tiny.
“That’s what we thought,” agreed Will. “The numbers aren’t beyond belief, but after losing their garrison at Klendon, and with what they still had at Maldon, it’s more than we expected.”
“Do you think it’s mercenaries?” suggested the squire.
That had actually been a topic of some discussion while preparing for the invasion, but there’d been no sign that the Patriarch had made an agreement with one of the neighboring powers. “We’re fairly sure that Trendham has stayed out of it, and Faresh is out of the question. I’m no expert on the other nations, but the only real possibilities that were considered viable were Barsta and Shimera.”
Barsta was barely a nation, according to what Will had learned. It was a loose collection of thanes ruling over small villages. Most of the Terabinian peers considered them little more than barbarians. The only time they became something akin to a nation was during times of war, when a high king would be selected to unify them. They did have a lot of free manpower, though, and a reputation for solid service, despite their wild nature. That made them popular as mercenaries.
But Shimera was where Will would put his money, if he had to bet. Shimera was a tightly controlled monarchy, ruled by one of the few men who might be even crazier than Lognion, Gavin Ferallon. What made it a sure bet, though, was the fact that the Shimerans were demon worshippers. The monarchy was firmly in the grip of the Church of the Iron Fist. It was hard to guess who held the most power in Shimera, the mad king or the demonic priesthood, but few who asked the question lived long enough to talk about it.
Will had encountered demons before. They’d been servants of the Shimeran priests who helped Darrow invade Terabinia years before. They’d also been sent as assassins to kill Selene even more recently, and it was their influence that had convinced the former Duchess Arenata to attempt the summoning of the demon-lord Leycachak. Will glanced down at the breastplate he now wore, a memento of that encounter.
“The cat said there were demons,” reminded Tiny.
Will nodded. “It’s almost certainly the Shimerans, and if they sent two divisions into a full retreat, there are probably a lot of them.”
“Shouldn’t there be someone here?” asked Janice. “All our messengers have to pass through this place.”
“Sub-Marshal Spry should have left at least a company here when he left with the Third Division,” agreed Will. The crossroad was a key location, since supplies from Klendon would all pass through, either on their way to Maldon to the north, or the front lines advancing on Myrsta. But there was no sign of anyone in the vicinity.
“Where are they?” asked Tiny. “More importantly, which way do we go from here? Have First and Third already passed through on the way to Klendon, or are they still to the east of us?”
Janice made an appeal to logic. “If they were retreating, it would be reasonable to assume they wouldn’t leave anyone here. They couldn’t leave a unit behind if the entire Darrowan army was about to pass through in pursuit.”
Her reasoning was sound, but Will wasn’t convinced. “If two divisions passed through in a hurry, followed by an even larger enemy force, we’d see signs of their passing. That many men moving quickly can’t keep themselves strictly to the roadway. It just isn’t big enough.” He waved his hands at the road’s verges, which were still mostly covered in grass. “We came through at a reasonable pace and kept to the road. There’s no sign of a hurried retreat here.”
“If we’d waited to travel with the army, you would have scouts to send out,” said Tiny in a sour tone.
Will’s face brightened. “You’re right, and maybe I still can.” He turned to Janice. “Get a force-dome ready. I want you two inside it when I give the word.”
She had already guessed who he was calling for. “Is that really necessary? We helped save her after all.”
He had already whispered the name three times and felt a response. Tailtiu was coming. “She’s stronger than all three of us and has no understanding of restraint or morals.” He looked past her to Tiny, then back again. “She had a rather strong attraction to him in the past, and I have no way of controlling her now that bargains no longer bind her actions.”
“I’ll put up a force-dome,” she replied without reservation.
“Make it as small as possible to conserve turyn. You may have to stay in there for a while,” suggested Will. Janice nodded and began the spell construct. Once her attention was diverted, he looked at Tiny and mouthed the words, ‘you’re welcome.’
The
big man’s expression was confused until Janice finished. “Stand close to me,” she commanded. “No, closer. Don’t be so shy.”
The squire was beginning to blush, even though there was still half a foot between them. Will guessed it was a small enough distance, but apparently Janice had also decided to capitalize on the moment, though her face revealed nothing. Stepping into him, she put her arms around Tiny. “Like this, so I don’t have to waste my magic.” She released the spell, leaving very little wiggle room for the warrior to distance himself.
Will tried not to laugh. Tiny had frozen in a strange position, pressing his body outward to try and avoid crowding the woman seemingly trapped beside him. “Stop making such a big deal of this, we’re not exactly strangers,” complained Janice. “We’ve even kissed before.”
Tiny groaned. “Please don’t remind me! Not now, of all times.”
She lifted one brow. “Oh! Was it that repugnant?”
“No!”
“Then what’s the problem?” she asked, turning so she could face the other direction.
“Stop moving!” pleaded the big man.
Will would have kept laughing, but he felt a shift in the currents of turyn. Tailtiu was near. Turning his head, he saw an owl drift down to land in front of him. Moments later it shifted, becoming his aunt’s familiar form, lithe, elfin, and entirely nude. “Pets of yours, master?” she remarked, eyeing his companions.
“Friends. They helped me rescue you, if you recall.”
Tailtiu winced at the memory. “Don’t remind me of that day.” Then she squinted at Tiny. “The big one looks familiar. How long have you kept them prisoner like this?”
“They aren’t prisoners, they’re—”
“Oh! It’s a breeding pair!” she exclaimed. “I didn’t realize humans had such bizarre customs. Is this why you always refused me? Did you need a cage to be properly aroused, like that one?”
“They aren’t a breeding pair,” Will protested.
His aunt winked slyly. “They will be. Just leave them like that a while longer. I can always tell.” One of her hands twitched, plucking strings of turyn from the air. The power began to swirl around her, and vines started to grow in a ring around Will. Within seconds a green cage would be formed.
Disciple of War (Art of the Adept Book 4) Page 37