by K W Quinn
Cass wanted to ride the wave to the end, to crash against the cold exterior of the building, to feel the crush of the Water and Air that was his gift and his responsibility. If it weren’t for Reyah clinging to his waist, he might have given in to the destructive urge, but she was a weight of reason pushing him toward an escape.
“Hold on tight,” he said over his shoulder.
“If I hold on much tighter, I’m going to squeeze your liver out of your esophagus,” she called back. He smiled and wrapped his arms around hers. The wave dropped out from under them, but they continued on, making a smooth turn back toward the hills.
“You can fly?” Reyah squeaked in his ear.
“Looks like I can.” It was mostly done now, damage and debris caught up in the momentum. It was done, and he was going back to the cabin.
“You didn’t know that you could before you just did this?” He had never heard her voice get that high.
“Not exactly.”
“When we land safely, remind me to smother you within an inch of your life.”
“It’s here,” Charly said, rushing into Helori’s living room.
Cass twitched under Reyah’s hands. She wouldn’t leave him, always keeping a hand on his shoulder or in his hair. She tried to sort the feelings coming from him, but it was all a mess of exhaustion and anger.
“Show me,” he sighed, looking across the press of bodies. The room was too small to be mission central, but once the floods had made their way through Cass and Andy’s hometown, nothing could keep them away. Reyah was glad Cass was able to have at least that small amount of comfort in all this.
“They used a raven,” Charly panted. “A real one. Spelled to hell and back. I’ll find the twisted waste of skin that did this, wring their neck, and—”
“The letter?” Amel asked.
Charly huffed. “It’s not a concession, rather a request for negotiation. From the Mountain.”
“Sounds like Dad,” Marv chimed in.
“Took him long enough,” Cass grumbled. Deep shadows ringed his eyes, and his cheeks were drawn. Keeping the water inside the city and keeping the city cut off from the world took an incredible amount of energy, relics or no relics.
“Actually, this is sooner than we thought,” Dez said. “You brought a world of hurt, Cass.”
Cass flinched at the casual compliment. Reyah might be the only one who noticed it, but they all knew the necessity of harm still didn’t sit well with him. He took a deep breath and reached for the envelope.
“Not yet,” Amel said, intercepting. “Let me check for wards and other nasty things before you touch it.”
“You think I didn’t do that?” Charly complained.
“Yes. Of course you did. But I’m better at it.” Amel squinted at the envelope, and Charly pouted. Cass nodded and slumped back on the couch.
“Is Cass gonna be able to negotiate like this?” Andy asked, looking at Reyah.
“We’ll fix him up,” Amel said sternly.
Cass waved a hand. “I’ll be fine. I just need some sleep. Some tea.” No one was fooled, but everyone humored him.
Tucked into Cass’s old bed, Reyah slid down next to him and ran her fingers through his hair. “You’ve done so much. You need to rest.”
“I’m resting,” he said, snuggling his face into her shoulder. “I have your strength. I’m doing my best. The Water is still a struggle. It pushes against me and tries to pull me under.” Cass sighed, his hands moving limply against the covers.
“Under what?” Reyah kept her voice smooth, but her thoughts were churning.
“I’m not sure. I know I’m not in danger of actually drowning, because no one will let me get too close to the actual water,” he griped.
“You’re too important to risk like that.” She rubbed her cheek along his head.
“I know, but being farther away makes it worse, I think. The pull of the river, the Water . . . it’s like everything I’ve ever thought or felt is there in the currents, and I can’t make sense of any of it, but I want to get in there and swim in it.”
He wiggled his fingers and toes. “It’s sharp, and there are things that will hurt me, but a part of me wants to lie down in the flood and be swept away, even though I know it’s the wrong choice. Does that make any sense?” He tilted his chin up, earnest eyes searching her face.
“It does. It sounds a lot like what they teach us about how to avoid succumbing to the corruption of broken souls.” Reyah sighed, remembering how Cass’s soul had called to her. “There’s a pull and a rush that comes with seeing all the power of a soul, no matter how dangerous. We have to collect them without giving in to the urge to use them.”
“How?” Cass reached for her hand, idly stroking her scales.
“Meditation, visualization of our goals, a mantra for protection. Constant vigilance,” she explained. His eyes drifted shut.
“I was hoping for, like, an amulet or a catchphrase.” He pouted.
“No such luck, little hero. No such luck. But I can teach you if you want.”
He nodded, his hair tickling under her chin. She began explaining the way to visualize his goal, knowing that as she did, he would slip into sleep. She hoped to keep his dreams peaceful.
Too many nightmares had plagued them both. Now it was time to focus on the coming negotiations. They would need every resource to go head-to-head with the Mountain.
Negotiate
Cass took a deep breath and choked down another swallow of his tea. Witches were helpful in the worst kind of way. Why couldn’t magic taste good?
“You need your strength,” Charly said, rolling his eyes at Cass’s obvious discomfort.
“Apparently, I don’t need my tongue, though,” Cass replied. Reyah raised her hand and opened her mouth but then stopped and simply smiled to herself instead. She took a sip of her own much more palatable tea.
“It will last most of the day but not if you don’t finish it all.” Charly wagged one crooked finger at Cass.
“Yes, Mother,” Cass grumbled. Reyah stifled a giggle. “I don’t suppose Min has any more insight or inspiration to offer?” Cass asked hopefully.
Charly shook his head. “His Fae magic is already stretched thin, bolstering the morale of the people waiting to go back to their homes. He’s grumpier than usual about being stuck with the crowds, but he also refuses to leave, so he’s trying to spread around the suffering and happiness as best he can.”
Cass nodded and sighed. Once he’d finished the awful tea and a full breakfast, he sat with Reyah in his room to try the meditation technique she’d described. Mostly it made him sleepy, but he had to try. Her voice washed over him in soothing waves.
A soft knock on the door was followed by Charly poking his head in. “We’re ready when you are,” he said, a fragile smile on his face.
“You’re sure the location is safe?” Reyah asked. She had petitioned for several distant locations to keep the Mountain from setting an ambush, but each one had its own drawbacks.
“As safe as we can make it. It’s been guarded and warded by the best we have.”
Reyah nodded. “All right. We’ll head out in a minute.”
Charly slipped out the door, and Reyah took Cass’s head in her hands.
“Look at me,” she said firmly. Cass looked into her eyes. He was still fascinated by her vertical pupils and the way the blue and green danced in the light.
“Yes?”
“You’re prepared. You’re strong enough, and together, we are stronger. We’re going to change the world today. There’s a whole team of people who are all dedicated, committed, and ready. You can do this, and I will do it with you.” She kissed him gently on the tip of his nose. He tilted his chin up, fishing for another kiss, and she indulged him.
“We’re a good team,” he said, running his hand along her arm. “Thank you for everything.”
“For lying and trying to steal your soul? Sure. No problem,” Reyah said with a shrug. “Now, let’s go
outmaneuver the most powerful man in the world.”
Sharks surrounded the perimeter of the little park that had been chosen for this meeting. In the center was a circle drawn by Charly and Amel themselves. Witches stood facing the four corners of the world, the four cardinal directions, each nodding to Cass.
He still wasn’t used to this respect and deference. He was just a shiftless Air from the wrong side of town. He couldn’t believe he was anything more than that, even as the river and clouds moved through him.
Charly and Amel walked in front of him, Reyah was pressed to his right side, and Andy and Dez followed behind with Marv. The son of the Mountain was pale in his suit and tie, but he walked with confidence.
Juji had argued to be there, too, but Marv had fought back with more force. Juji grudgingly accepted a position down in the valley, waiting at the Dome to free the prisoners, but only as a lookout, not as an outcast. Min was down in the valley too. He said a battlefield was no place for a wheelchair.
No one thought it was anything but a battlefield. No one believed that the Mountain would actually negotiate. But Cass was confident that everyone had done everything to make it safe. In front of the warded circle was the muddy river. Behind them were rocks and the forest. It was as close to neutral ground as could be found.
Everyone was tense, watching the road for signs of the Mountain’s arrival. Charly had negotiated all the terms of the meeting with Marv’s guidance. Cass had only been focused on the Wind and Water. Now he rolled his shoulders and his neck, trying to shift into the role they needed him to fill.
He was a scrawny Air kid with a feather tattoo and shaggy hair. He didn’t belong here, facing down the Mountain. He glanced at Marv, taking comfort in the crisp lines of his dark suit, the bold tie, and the slick of his perfectly combed hair. At least one of them looked like they could negotiate.
Reyah squeezed his hand gently, and he took a deep breath, feeling her strength in his veins. He would take strength from Marv too. From his courage and sacrifice to be here. He would take strength from all of them and be more than the sum of the parts. He was the Mistwalker, after all.
The rumble of cars reached them before they could see the vehicles rounding the bend. Everyone stood up a little straighter or squared their shoulders. Cass could feel everyone take a deep breath and hold it. The Air vibrated with potential, and he felt the power with every beat of his heart.
Three long cars pulled up, spraying mud. Men in suits poured out of the cars, opening doors. The Mountain and his daughters stepped out. They walked on top of the mud. Not in it or around it, but skimming the surface, just barely touching the top, a fine layer of dust keeping them from sinking in or collecting any mud on their expensive shoes.
Cass quirked his eyebrows at the subtle display of power but kept his hands relaxed at his sides. Marv shifted his weight back and forth in a soft rustle of expensive fabric.
“Be steady, Cass,” Dez whispered from his back.
“Calisto,” the Mountain called and walked closer, one hand extended in greeting. He stopped short of Charly and Amel so Cass would have to step out to meet him, luring him out of the circle. “I’m Jedrek. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me,” he said smoothly.
“Mr. Rowan, where are our mothers?”
“Safe in the Dome, as I told you. They will remain safe as long as you don’t do anything stupid. Or anything else stupid. They’ve already been beaten for your foolish attempt at a siege.”
Cass felt Andy push forward, held back by the witches. He pulled deeply on his relics, the power in his lungs keeping him calm when he wanted to rage. “Not so foolish if it brought you here.”
The Mountain tilted his head slightly. “And now that we’re here, let’s dispense with the pleasantries and discuss things that matter.”
“I am here to aid the negotiations,” Marv said, a tremble to his voice. “Let us act in good faith, as propriety dictates.”
“Ah, Mardav,” Jedrek sneered. “I would say I’m disappointed, but for that to be true, I would have had to expected better of you.”
Marv smiled. “You have all the sycophants you need, sir.” He nodded to each of his sisters. Cass watched for any flicker of sympathy from them, but they were as cold and immovable as Marv had described.
“So, I assume you have a list of demands?” Jedrek asked, looking over Cass and the gathered revolutionaries.
“I was about to ask you the very same question, sir. What is it you would like to accomplish in this meeting you requested?” Cass replied, grateful for Marv’s insight. So far, things were going exactly as Marv had anticipated. The knowledge almost quieted the shaking in his stomach.
Jedrek arched one eyebrow and nodded. “I’d like for you to cease terrorizing the population.”
“Again, you seem to be reading from my script,” Cass retorted. “Your reign of terror is exactly what we’re seeking to end.”
“You’ve destroyed my city, made refugees of my people, and stolen my property.”
“You’ve enslaved your population, killed and isolated my people, and ruled by keeping the population cowed by fear. You hide behind laws that only protect you while punishing everyone else. You steal and enslave and—”
“We obviously have different perspectives,” Jedrek cut in. He pursed his lips and folded his hands in front of him. “How can we come to a mutually agreeable solution?”
“You can cede control of all your assets to your son and commit yourself to a life in prison. Marv is prepared to negotiate the terms of your surrender.”
“And how is that mutually agreeable?” Jedrek scoffed.
“Oh, you meant mutually between you and me? I was offering a solution that all of us would be happy with.” Cass gestured around the park to his people.
“Your insolence is disappointing, though not surprising,” Jedrek sighed. He extended his right hand, and one of the daughters stepped forward, placing a crystal rod into it.
Cass felt Marv’s sharp intake of breath. He’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but Marv had warned them about the focusing rod.
“Don’t,” Cass said firmly.
“I see my son told you about this,” Jedrek said calmly. He slid the rod across his palm languidly. Cass couldn’t see the crackle of power that Marv had described, but he could sense the tension in the Air nonetheless. “Good. That saves me the time of having to threaten you. You know that I can wield more power than you can imagine. Don’t be foolish and start a fight you can’t hope to finish.”
“I had hoped you would be more reasonable,” Cass said. “Not that any of us actually trusted your offer of peace talks, but I had hoped we might keep the charade of negotiations up for a little longer. Marv had a whole speech prepared.” Cass flashed his teeth but settled himself into his stance, feeling the strength from Reyah and the relics.
He knew the witches would protect themselves. The Sharks could hold their own. Dez and Andy would protect each other, but that still left Marv and Reyah to him. Reyah could fight flesh, but the Elements were beyond her. Marv’s own control of Earth was useless in the face of his father’s relic.
“I’m a busy man, Calisto. I have no time for miserable Air miscreants like you.” Jedrek finished his words with a whipcrack motion of the crystal rod, and Cass felt the ground beneath him tremble. The witches’ magic must have muffled the effect of the rod because Jedrek’s eyes narrowed. He raised his arms, but Cass already had a tendril of Water rushing toward him, aimed to knock his feet out from under him.
The twins moved, twisting gracefully to bring up a wall of mud between the river and their father. Cass’s Water splashed against it uselessly. Jedrek prepared another attack.
“Your witches are strong, Mistwalker,” Jedrek sneered. “When I break you, I’ll Bond them. This is turning out to be a very profitable day.” He spun the rod above his head and brought it down to stab at the ground beneath his feet. Rocks erupted from the ground, and the twins began launching them in ev
ery direction.
Cass couldn’t watch everyone, but he sucked in a deep breath and trusted in their planning. He pulled the river toward himself, fusing the Water with Air and spinning it furiously. The Sharks were fighting the Mountain’s guards. Cass directed his attack toward the few guards who had closed ranks around the Boulders, as Marv called them. A wall of dirt sprang up to his right, stopping flying rocks. Cass would need to thank Marv for the quick save later.
Breaking
“Follow me!” Dez shouted, grabbing Andy’s wrist. She stepped closer to the river and began pulling streams of Water out in long whips.
Andy nodded, remembering everything they’d practiced. Like a dance, they moved together. Andy would pull in Fire to heat the whips of Water, and Dez would strike. It had been so easy in practice.
Now the ground shook, and rocks crashed around them. He couldn’t focus. Dust blinded him, and he screamed for Dez.
She pressed herself to his back, grunting with effort. “Faster, love. Can you heat the river?”
Moving water was a tough target, but Andy pulled from the relic and felt Fire and Light surge through his veins. He blinked to clear his eyes, raising a hand to shield them. The dust coated his mouth, and he coughed, but still he pulled the heat of the sun and pushed it into the Water trailing from Dez’s fingertips.
“That’s it, love. More if you’ve got it.”
Following the line of Water, Andy pushed Fire back into the river. Dez pulled Water out as fast as he could heat it. Sweat dripped down his cheeks and neck, but it wasn’t enough.
“Bloody Earth, I can’t see to strike,” Dez said through clenched teeth.
“Follow me,” Andy said, stepping forward. He pushed Light out ahead of him, creating shadows. It was a flimsy target, but it was better than nothing.
“Clever, love. Keep it up.”
Cass felt Reyah at his back, warm and strong. He pushed at rocks and needling gusts of dirt. Shield of Air and whip of Water. He moved forward, trying to get close enough to Jedrek to separate him from his relic, but the Mountain was too experienced. He kept his daughters between him and Cass. Volley after volley of Earth was met with Water or Air. Every wave and blast were turned by Earth.