The one closest to him had an arrow knocked and his bow drawn on Caleb. Shade’s mouth twitched in irritation as he shifted his form. He was still a Blight, but a much smaller Blight closer to Syrah’s size than a man’s. Eyeing both Archer’s warily Shade slid along the wall under the man’s bent arm until he was perfectly centered between the two of them. It only took a moment for him to shift back to the proper height, but in that time two more arrows were sent toward Caleb. Maybe I should have taken Hemlock up on his offer for Assassin training. Shade mused bitterly as he drove both of his daggers home simultaneously in lethal blows that dropped the Archers with no more resistance than their cries of pain and shock.
Shade wiped his daggers on his pants without a second glance toward the dead men at his feet. He didn’t want to see his handiwork. Twirling the daggers he slid them home at his belt and studied the fight before him. Caleb was hard pressed by three swordsmen though one seemed to be wounded. Not nearly as wounded as Caleb appeared to be however. As Caleb parried a man’s blade and dodged away from another blow Grace moved in for an attack with deadly speed. Caleb darted aside barely missing her claws but the effort put him too close to the third swordsman. The Rivasan crowed with delight as his short sword sank deeply into Caleb’s side and the priest grunted in response, but didn’t slow in his fighting. Grace backed away from the fight once more and circled the men.
It took an effort of will to rip his eyes from the fight, but Shade forced himself to acknowledge the other threats. There were at least eight more swordsmen, and all of their attention seemed to be focused on the fight. They were waiting for an opportunity to draw the Black Bastard’s blood, but they were too well trained to throw themselves into the fight. Too many men in one battle were a hindrance and they knew it. Shade wasn’t sure if any of them had even noticed Derrick’s fall. If they had they weren’t showing any signs of remorse or rage over their fallen lord. If they hadn’t noticed, he still had an edge. They wouldn’t know he was here.
His gaze moved back to the fight as Grace moved in once more and landed a savage blow across Caleb’s back. Teeth gritted in frustration Shade made his choice. He needed to stop Grace and he knew he couldn’t drop a fellow Changeling with stealth alone, especially not with as much as Grace was moving. His mother never held her position for more than a breath.
“Grace Morcaillo step away from this fight!” Shade’s voice rang through the open street as he slid once more into his true form. There was no point in keeping the Blight form any longer if he didn’t need stealth. The fight waned for a breath then regained its tempo as the Rivasan’s took advantage of Caleb’s shock. Shade cringed inwardly at the expression of fury that lit Caleb’s features at his words. If he had been following Caleb’s plan he would have been safely away with Syrah by now, and Caleb would be dying faster.
Two of the idle Rivasan’s closed on him and Shade summoned claws in response. A sword would give him more range, but the venom he could summon to his claws would drop a man with one scratch. The downside to that plan was that the venom wasn’t a Changeling trait; it was something he had borrowed from various creatures on Sanctuary. A concoction of his own devising that was difficult to summon and part of his concentration would be lost on maintaining it. He used the last spare moments before the swordsmen were closed on him to enhance his speed and regeneration.
“Derrick is dead Grace! You have no reason to continue to follow his orders!” Shade yelled once more as the first of the swordsmen sprinted forward for the first attack.
The Guard underestimated his speed and Shade spun easily away from the blow still managing to land a blow across the man’s cheek as he passed. The guard’s sword fell from his hand the moment the venom touched his skin and the second swordsman slowed to a cautious approach as his comrade fell. Foam began to speckle the fallen man’s lips and his legs kicked feebly against the cobbles.
“I don’t want to kill you. You should probably run.” Shade advised him in a low voice, but he could tell the man wouldn’t listen and several more of the Rivasans were turning their attention his way. “Stop fighting now Grace!” Shade called loudly and tried desperately to add warning to his tone. If he could just get her out of the fight things would be much simpler.
“Your father sends his regards Christian.” Grace returned casually in a voice that wasn’t quite loud enough to be considered a yell, but carried easily to his ears.
A cold chill rose along his spine as Shade realized what Myth had done. Somehow his father knew he would be here. Somehow he had known what they had planned, and so he had sent Grace. He almost missed the second guard’s attack as certainty washed over him; Grace wouldn’t leave the fight. He would have to face her or watch Caleb die. Almost mechanically he raised his arm and pushed the Rivasan’s attack aside. Still numb he drove his claws through the guard’s leather armor and deep into his side. A second man fell then a third before the rest seemed to lose their interest in attacking him. Dazedly Shade turned toward Grace in time to watch Caleb drop another guard to the blood covered street. Caleb was barely standing and Shade silently wondered if he would even recover from his wounds if they managed to escape dying at the Rivasan’s hands.
“Last chance Grace. Don’t make me choose here. You won’t like the choice I make.” Shade called as he began to advance slowly. The remaining Rivasans backed away from him with expressions of uncertainty clear on their faces. He could see their eyes moving from the still convulsing forms of their fellow guards and then back to him. “Just run and think of an excuse later. No one will survive here to speak of cowardice to your superiors.” Shade said bitterly. A faint smile creased his lips as one of the younger guards dropped his sword and bolted for the fortress. At least someone here today has common sense he decided sourly.
Grace moved in again with the speed of a serpent and Caleb reeled off balance toward one of the guards as her claws raked viciously across his back. With a grunt of surprise Caleb twisted at the last moment putting his shoulder into the guard and barely managed to avoid being impaled on the man’s sword. His form flickered like a guttering candle then blurred into a form that towered over the guards facing him.
Shade paused in surprise and stared at Caleb in awe. He had never actually seen a Shifter in full combat form. Most Shifters were not strong enough in their magic to attain the form, and the few that were kept the secret very well hidden. At full height Caleb stood close to ten feet, and there was nothing awkward about the blending of man and wolf. Shade had heard the combat forms were grotesque things, but nothing could be further from the truth in Caleb’s case. His long slender muzzle was curled into a snarl and his ears were pinned giving him the sort of fierceness that would have most enemies dropping their swords and running.
The Rivasan’s before him back stepped their sword points drooping toward the ground as Caleb took a menacing step toward them. His white tipped fur stirred briefly in the evening breeze without a trace of the blood that had been coating his armor. A snarl rose in his throat as the powerful muscles in his back rippled as the slender black sword he held slowly began to shift as well. The thin graceful blade seemed to gather shadows as it balanced itself to match its master’s new form.
“How lovely a bigger target.” Grace mused cheerfully. Her own form shifted slightly as she adjusted her muscles for more speed and then she was charging Caleb again in a blur of movement.
Caleb met her first two blows easily, but the third slipped by him and a rough snarl rose from his throat as fresh blood darkened the fur on his arm. His jaws snapped shut just inches from Grace’s face as her claws tore vicious gouges into his stomach. The Changeling bent nearly double under a swipe from Caleb’s claws and the Shifter barely managed to dance back away from her counter attack that would have hamstrung him.
“She is too damn fast for him.” Shade muttered. He needed to help, but he wasn’t sure how to without getting in Caleb’s way. Gritting his teeth in frustration he circled them frantically searching f
or an opening.
Caleb took several more blows and staggered visibly under the assault but managed to land a solid blow on Grace that sent her sliding across the rough cobbles on her back. Shade moved the instant she hit the ground and brought both hands down for a slash across her chest as she rose. It wasn’t a lethal blow with claws alone, but the venom should drop even her and the chest was a difficult target to miss. He braced himself for the impact of his claws in flesh, but Grace’s body seemed to curl inward on itself and he staggered forward off balance. No one can be that damn fast. The thought hit him at the same moment his mother did. The air in his lungs exploded outward at the force of her blow and he struggled to stay on his feet.
A dark form blurred past him and Shade barely managed a glimpse of Caleb slamming into Grace before fresh pain tore through him. Waves of agony nearly blinded him as he gazed stupidly down at the sword point sticking through his stomach. He blinked once as the blade withdrew and managed a staggering turn to stare incredulously at the guard who had backstabbed him.
“You son of a bitch, I gave you the option to run.” Shade hissed. His stomach felt like white fire, but he could already feel his regeneration taking effect and healing the wound.
The guard hastily back stepped and looked ready to bolt but Shade shook his head grimly in response. “I don’t think so.” He snarled as he closed on the man. Behind him he could still hear the battle raging, but the sword through his gut had been a gentle reminder that if the guards weren’t going to run, they needed to die. He had lost the focus for his venom with the sword blow and at the moment it seemed too much work to summon it back. That meant the man would have to suffer a messy death, but perhaps it would give him something to contemplate in the Darklands. Such as why you never stab an Elder Blood in the back unless it is a killing blow.
Shade was barely a step from the guard when the ground behind him trembled followed by a crash that sounded as if one of the buildings was being ripped apart. The guard forgotten Shade whirled and stared in mute horror at the dragon barely eight feet from him and the collapsed wall of the shop he had left Syrah on top of. The dust from the fallen stone was still settling, but even through the thick cloud Shade could make out the battered form of Caleb crumpled in the rubble. Still intent on her quarry the dragon stalked forward several feet then drew her head back to inhale.
“Mother No!” Shade screamed. There was no way either Syrah or Caleb would survive dragonfire at that close of range. Even if the child had the sense to move to one of the adjoining buildings she would still be caught in the blaze. His hand dropped to his pocket and settled around the cool stone hidden within as he sprinted toward his mother. Don’t think about it just do it. He ordered himself as he launched himself straight toward the dragon’s gaping mouth. His free hand latched firmly between two of the massive ivory teeth and pain seared through him as his flesh was sliced cleanly by the razor edge of one. He could already feel the heat bubbling in her throat as he pulled himself up high enough to cast the stone into her open mouth and down her throat.
With a cry of anguish that had nothing to do with his injuries he released his hold and dispelled the magic on the storage stone he had thrown. The dragon staggered and her neck bulged horribly as his Spell Hawk lodged in her throat then tore through flesh and bone alike. White hot fire gushed through the rents in her flesh and Shade barely managed to scramble out of the way as the dragon’s body collapsed to the ground in a tangle of thrashing limbs. The ship twisted horribly in the wound with the sound of tearing metal and bile rose in his throat as the combination of her thrashing and the destruction of his ship severed her head from her body. The dragon form faded from her as death claimed her and Shade stared mutely down at his mother’s head. He couldn’t bring himself to move at all, not toward her fallen form or toward Caleb. He felt sick and numb and couldn’t drag his gaze from her sightless eyes or the blood pooling around the stump of her neck.
“By all of the Divine what have I done?” Shade whispered as he contemplated his actions. He had repaid Caleb for saving his life, and at the same time he had killed a pure blooded Changeling, and a female at that. Not to mention his own mother. His life wasn’t worth a bent copper now and he knew it.
“You saved my Daddy’s life.” A tiny voice answered from somewhere behind him
Turning slowly Shade gazed down at the little girl and nodded dumbly. “Yes I did.” Shade agreed quietly. “If she didn’t kill him when she threw him through the wall.” He added bitterly.
“He lives…barely.” Syrah informed him in a voice that seemed far too practical for such a small child. She brushed a strand of her dark blue hair back from her face and gazed toward his ship with wide grey eyes. “Will that be able to fly now? She says we shouldn’t stay here much longer. It’s dangerous here and others will be coming.”
Shade followed her eyes to the blood streaked ship. One of the wings was nearly torn off and the hull was badly dented. Slowly he shook his head and swallowed heavily. “Not like it is now, but I can fix it enough to manage quickly enough.” All I have to do is bring myself to go near my mother’s body. He added silently.
Syrah nodded once at him and then gazed upward at the empty air beside her and nodded once more. “Fix it then, and I will do what I can for Daddy. Hurry though, it cost Momma a lot of strength to finish those guards and it is already hard for her to stay here. She needs to go, Ryven needs her.” Syrah’s voice was barely over a whisper and filled with a sadness that mirrored the ache in his own chest.
Shade nodded slowly once more and realized the remaining guards were crumpled on the ground. He snorted in contempt for himself and shook his head slowly. That should have been the first thing he looked for once Grace had fallen. He should have looked for further danger rather than mourning the death of an enemy. “Tell your Mother thank you please. I’m not really sure how spirits work or if she can hear me when I speak to her, but I’m sure I owe her my life for killing the guards.” At some point in his life he was sure he would have scoffed at a child claiming the spirit of her mother was near her, or at the very least he would have pitied the child for her fancies. Now however it didn’t seem the slightest bit odd. He had seen too much in the past few months to dismiss anything as a possibility.
Movement behind the child caught his attention before he could turn to his ship and Shade stared in shock as Caleb staggered to his feet with his sword still clutched firmly in his hand. The Shifter swayed for a moment and his head lolled to one side. The shadows around the sword thickened for a breath and both Syrah and Shade continued to stare in silence as the sword began to fold back on itself as if melting. Caleb’s form shifted back down to his human shape the moment the Shadowsteel touched his skin. Pain flickered briefly across his slack face and the muscles in his arm convulsed as the Shadowsteel slithered up his arm and began to meld into his skin. His head lolled forward on his shoulders and then snapped back as his spine went rigid.
“What in the bloody hell…” Shade murmured as he stared in sick fascination.
“A bargain kept.” Caleb answered quietly though the voice was not his own. It was a deeper voice that rang hollowly with every word. His head came forward once more and piercing black eyes settled on Shade. He sighed heavily and looked mildly disgusted. “You however I did not count on.” He continued as he stepped carefully from the rubble brushing the dust from his armor as he walked. He rolled his shoulders and a faint smile creased his lips as he stared hungrily around the remains of Prendington. The smile faded as his eyes found Shade once more and he sighed again. “I owe you.” He spoke the words in what almost seemed an accusation then took another slower breath and forced the smile back onto his face. “The Dragon Fire would have destroyed his body before I could claim it, and thus you are owed by me as much as I may dislike it. So what will it be Morcaillo? What boon would you ask of me? Riches? Magic? Knowledge?” Caleb’s black gaze swiveled slowly to the remains of Shade’s ship and his forced smile became a gen
uine one. “The secret of Shadowsteel perhaps? If your ship were made of Shadowsteel repairing it would require no more than a thought from you.”
“Ryvenken?” Shade asked hesitantly. He thought he understood what was going on, but had to be certain. Caleb had said the sword was sentient, but none of the stories he had ever heard had mentioned weapons that were able to possess their wielder so completely.
The black eyes settled on him once more and annoyance flashed across Caleb’s handsome face. “That was the arrangement. I wasn’t far from claiming this one anyway, and he wanted Kevala’drin so badly. Name your boon Morcaillo. I would be done with this place and onto more pleasant diversions.
“It’s a life boon. You said the body would have been destroyed so this is more than just riches or one secret to repay what I have done.” Shade replied softly.
The annoyance returned to his face and he waved impatiently with one hand. “Fine then, name it, I hardly care how greedy you are. I cannot leave here in your debt.”
“I want my friend back. Time has no meaning to you. Give us back Caleb for now and bide your time at living for a better era. You don’t want to be part of this world right now anyway. It is tearing itself apart.” Shade said calmly.
“Are you mad? I offer you treasure, magical knowledge, bloody Shadowsteel and you ask me for this?” Ryvenken demanded furiously.
“I don’t ask it. I demand it. You owe me a life and I want his back. Return his body to him and bide your time.” Shade informed him in the same calm tone.
“We will meet again Morcaillo, and I will remember this. I never forget.” Ryvenken hissed through Caleb’s lips as he staggered forward. The pitch black of his eyes faded almost instantly and agony filled his face as his left hand grew black. Moving quickly Shade caught Caleb as his knees began to buckle and held him upright. The ring of metal on stone sounded as a black dagger fell from Caleb’s hand and bounced across the cobbles toward Syrah.
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