by S. M. Boyce
“Pity about that investor,” Luak said. It took all of his energy to suppress a wicked grin.
The king frowned.
“It seems as though your plan to keep the beast a secret has backfired,” Luak continued.
The king shook his head. “It was contained.”
Luak clicked his tongue in disappointment. “I'm worried for you, my king. There's dissent, talk that you are too weak to protect your people. I fear for you,” he lied for effect. “What's worse is that I hear you now have a Rhazdon host in your city.”
The king froze, not breathing. “You're lying.”
“I wish I was, my liege.”
“What do you know of this host?”
“Not much,” Luak lied again. “But for you, I can find out more.”
“Do.”
Even from here, Luak could see the king’s hands trembling. He crossed his arms, no doubt in an effort to hide it, but it was clear: King Bornt was nervous. Weak as he was, he should have been running for the hills. The wizard monarch had no idea what Luak had in store for him if he stayed.
“I have a proposition for you,” Luak said.
The king nodded without looking at him. “I assumed as much. You always do.”
“You'll want to hear this one.”
“Out with it.”
“I will kill the monster. I will soothe the dissent in the city, and ensure that everyone here loves you and gives you credit for killing the beast. Not another soul will die, and you will keep your throne.”
This got the king's attention. He leaned against the wall, his full attention now focused on Luak. “And in return?”
“You become a figurehead with no power. I rule Fairhaven. I make the laws. The city adores you, and you continue to live here, but you hand me the keys.”
“Get out,” the king said, seething.
Luak chuckled and stood, but he crossed the gap between them instead of heading for the door. He leaned in, his nose barely an inch from the king’s as he towered over him. “Your people think you are weak because you are. It's only a matter of time before you lose the crown. Think about my proposition. It's the only way for you to cling to the last shreds of your power.”
With that, Luak left at a slow and steady pace, letting the door swing gently shut behind him. He adjusted his collar, wondering how he could rile up the creature he had planted in the tunnels. A single killing wasn't enough. It must not have been hungry, but he could fix that.
A few more well-placed rumors about the king hiding the truth and a few more deaths—perhaps a whole family enjoying a day out together—would be enough to start a riot big enough to overthrow the king.
And of course, Luak thought with a wicked grin, the movement would need a leader.
CHAPTER 27
Victoria paced the cobblestones in front of Bertha's shop, arms crossed as she scanned the empty street. This was the first time she had ever seen Main Street almost completely empty. Usually there were so many heads bobbing down the street that it was difficult to tell the bodies from each other, but today everyone was staying indoors.
“There is a curfew now, apparently,” Audrey said, the door shutting behind her.
“What did you tell Bertha?”
Audrey frowned, grimacing a little in an expression that Victoria had long ago learned meant, C’mon, really?
Victoria shrugged. “If anyone should be told, it’s her.”
“I wouldn’t want to put her in that position,” Audrey said, hands on her hips.
“To choose?”
Audrey nodded. “She would have to choose between her city and two strangers she took into her home.”
“You think she would turn us in?”
Audrey grinned, shaking her head a little bit. “I know she wouldn't. That's the problem.”
Victoria laughed. “It's nice to have at least one person on our side.”
“Two, if you count Fyrn.”
Victoria nodded. “I do.”
“Now that you’ve had some time to cool off, what do you think of your little plan to go after this creature?”
Victoria frowned, eyeing Audrey. “Don’t talk down to me.”
Audrey lifted her hands in surrender. “I’m absolutely positive this city has an army. I think you should leave the fighting to the pros while you and I learn about the city. I mean, think about it—we didn’t even know how long our money would last a couple of days ago, and now you want to hunt something that can create wounds like the ones on that poor goblin's body? It killed him, Victoria. It won't hesitate to kill us, too.”
“Nor would it hesitate to kill anyone else,” Victoria added.
Audrey’s shoulders drooped a bit. “I know. I know you’re strong, Victoria. And I know you have these newfound gifts you’re learning to control. You’re capable, but I don't want you to bite off more than you can chew right now, that's all.”
“I know my limits.”
Audrey caught her eye, brow quirking a bit. “Do you?”
Victoria hesitated, scanning Audrey's face as something clicked in the back of her mind. “You're scared I'm going to die.”
As if Victoria’s words had flipped a switch, tears burned in Audrey's eyes. She swallowed hard, staring at the rooftops for a few moments. When she did finally speak, her words came out in a whisper. “Of course I am.”
“You're scared I'm going to be reckless and get myself killed.”
“Y-yes. Yes, okay? Yes!”
Victoria nodded. This confirmed a deep fear she'd had since she first came to Fairhaven. She paced a bit, trying to figure out how to word what she wanted to say next. “When you came down here with me, when you joined me, you knew I was on the warpath. This isn't a field trip. It never was. You knew this was about revenge for me. You knew this was about blood and sweat and vengeance. If I die, Audrey, it will be for a purpose.”
“But killing this monster doesn’t help you get vengeance.”
“You’re right.”
“Then why do any of this? Why care? It sucks that the girl lost her dad, but come on, Victoria. Keep your eye on the big picture!”
The words wounded Victoria like a punch to the gut, but they disappointed her more than anything. “What's gotten into you?”
“Into me? What's gotten into you?”
“Audrey, we've been friends forever. You were willing to come here with me, abandon your life to help me get revenge and seek justice for my parents. Hell, you even fired a gun in the bank parking lot to protect me. I love you like a sister, and I always will. But fuck, woman! How can you be so heartless as to say this girl doesn’t matter? That these people don't matter? Don't you love Fairhaven?”
Audrey frowned but didn't answer.
Victoria pressed it. “This place is magical and fucked up and beautiful, and I never want to leave. I don't understand it and probably never will, but we can't leave these people to die, Audrey. You've heard the rumors about this king. He doesn't care about the people. He doesn't care about keeping them alive, keeping them safe, or even keeping them happy. The people here are on their own more and more, and the Army doesn't serve them. The Army serves him. And what will happen if he locks himself in his palace? If he pretends this doesn't exist and that there's not a problem? Audrey, I'm not saying we have to fight, but we need to be prepared to if that's what it takes.”
An indent appeared in Audrey's cheek where she was almost certainly biting it to stem the flood of words she would probably regret. Victoria had learned a long time ago not to push Audrey to share what was on her mind. Audrey would share if she wanted to.
Victoria put her hands on Audrey's shoulders. “This is as much about justice as revenge, Audrey. I have to do this. Are you with me?”
Audrey's lip curled in the subtlest of smiles. “To the end, you friggin’ idiot.”
***
Victoria and Audrey had a deal: they would scope out the tunnels during the day to see if they could get more info on the creature, and at n
ight they would strategize. When they encountered the creature that had killed the goblin, Victoria would attack only if she had no other choice.
In the meantime, they would play a bit of Berserk.
Wearing the silver jersey of their team, Victoria shook out her hands and hopped up and down to get her blood going. She stood in the center of the field, scanning the massive stadium. Above her, the audience roared. The field was covered with players of all shapes and sizes, silver jerseys against black.
A horn blew long and loud—the warning bell, telling everyone that the game would start soon. Tense, ready to go, and a little bit nervous, Victoria jogged over to Audrey. A goblin in a black and white referee’s shirt dragged a net filled with the indestructible fidgets, who rolled against the bag as if more eager to get onto the field than the players.
Her team lined up as the referee took center field, hand raised to quiet the din. His voice boomed over the stadium, impossibly loud. “Ladies and gentlemen, creatures of all ages, I welcome you to the Berserk Seasonal Kickoff! As a reminder to our players, our most important rule is, no magic! Aside from that, your only job is to win.”
The crowd roared, and he spoke in another language Victoria didn’t recognize. Maybe he was cycling through the most common ones so that as many as possible could understand him.
As he spoke, she surveyed her team. Seven ogres and three elves, plus her and Audrey. Not only were they the only humans, but they were the only girls.
Time to represent.
The opposing team seemed to be comprised entirely of ogres lined up shoulder to shoulder, all but foaming at the mouth to begin. They thumped their chests, roared, and jostled each other as they prepared to charge. If one of them plowed into her, she might not wake up for a few days.
Fun.
In the final seconds before the starting bell, she scanned the guest box for Fyrn's trademark staff. He hated crowds, so she doubted he would have come. Still, deep in her heart, she had hoped he would anyway. There were elves she didn't recognize, and Bertha waved with a mighty smile from the top row of seats. Victoria waved back.
A familiar and utterly ridiculous hat appeared, and bit by bit, Fyrn’s beard and staff came into view. He nodded once to her and went to find a seat.
She grinned. He had come after all.
The starting horn blew. With a flourish, the referee tossed the net of fidgets onto the mossy ground and disappeared into thin air. The crowd roared. Hundreds of feet smacked the bleachers like thunder.
Both teams charged the field, everyone aiming either for one of the fidgets or for an opponent. After all, if an opponent threw in the towel and went to the wizard medic, he would be out for the rest of the game. Better to get an early lead. Two ogres rammed each other, and the ground rumbled beneath them.
An elf ran straight for Victoria, but she dodged him effortlessly. As if on cue, Edgar tackled the elf, giving her time to bolt ahead and find one of the fidgets. Even though they weren’t supposed to use magic, she didn’t consider her newly learned stealth and speed as breaking the rules. Light as a feather, she bolted across the field, scanning the grass for the telltale golden eyes of one of the green fidgets. No green, but she did spot a black one. Chasing after it, she plucked the little critter off the ground and ran toward their opponents’ goal.
“Oi!” someone shouted.
Edgar ran alongside her, the ground rumbling under his footsteps. He gestured to the fidget in Victoria’s hands.
Oh, thank goodness. She did not want to be the one to pummel through the opponent’s three goalies. She tossed him the creature, which he caught easily. He tore ahead, about to score fifty points for the Plits.
Victoria skidded to a halt, a broad smile on her face as she prepared for her second catch of the day. A green one. She really, really wanted to catch a green one in her first game.
Someone screamed.
At first Victoria thought someone in the audience had gotten carried away, but the second scream chilled her to the bone. It was bloodcurdling, the sound someone makes when they get stabbed. She paused and surveyed the audience, some of whom are starting to look around, too. A few sections of the higher bleachers began to evacuate, heads bobbing as people pushed their way out of the stadium.
Her breath caught in her throat as more and more of the spectators began to funnel out the stadium. One by one the players on the field slowed and looked up as well, but no one seemed to know what was happening.
Deep in her gut, Victoria knew something was very, very wrong. She looked at Audrey, who nodded.
Game over.
They raced toward the exit together without a word shared between them. After a moment’s hesitation, many of the players on her side followed suit, ground trembling as even the teams evacuated.
While many of the players retreated to the locker rooms, Victoria headed straight for the street. She needed to know what was happening, but in her gut she had the feeling she already knew.
Before they could reach the street outside, something roared. The grating screech was like nails on a chalkboard, and every fiber of Victoria's being cringed. She forced herself forward, tensing her arms as she prepared to use her dark magic if necessary.
Heels kicking up dust as she ran, she passed every type of creature she had ever seen in Fairhaven. Ogres, elves, gremlins, goblins—everyone ran in different directions. It was chaos. People screamed. Doors slammed. Glass shattered. But so far, Victoria couldn’t figure out what they were running from.
Whatever it was, it roared again, and Victoria raced toward the sound with Audrey in tow.
They rounded the corner of the stadium to find a massive creature in the street with several bodies littered around it. It roared a third time, teeth protruding from its mouth like fangs, claws reaching for any creature who came near it.
“Holy shit, it’s a snarx,” Audrey said under her breath.
True to Bertha’s word, it really did look like the ugly lovechild of a basilisk and a massive centipede. It screamed, and the windows in a house across from the stadium burst.
“Yay,” Victoria said, tensing. Her breath came in short bursts as she sized up the monster, trying to figure out a game plan.
“Victoria, wait,” Audrey grabbed her arm.
“We don’t have time—”
“The only way we have a chance against this is if you use your, uh, thing. But we’re exposed out here. Even if you kill it, even if you save them, they’ll be afraid of you. They’ll probably kill you. Even if we can escape, you won’t have Fairhaven anymore. You’ll lose everything.”
Victoria grabbed both of Audrey’s elbows, leaning her forehead against her friend’s. “According to Fyrn, no host has ever saved someone before. Maybe I can change the stigma, Audrey. I can show them there’s nothing to fear. Am I scared? Hell yeah, but when has that ever stopped me? It’s wrong to let the people in this city die because I’m afraid.”
“Oh, you’ll definitely die,” Shiloh said with a sigh, suddenly beside them.
Victoria flinched, grimacing. “Thanks, Shiloh. Good pep talk.”
Audrey sucked in a deep breath, nodding. At this point in their friendship, Audrey should know better than to try to change Victoria’s mind about something she cared this deeply about.
Audrey offered her fist. “To the end?”
Victoria grinned, bumping her fist against Audrey’s. “To the end.”
The creature snarled, its tail crashing into the stadium wall. Blocks of stone hurtled to the ground, coming within inches of crushing pedestrians who were still trying to get away from the monster.
“What’s the plan?” Audrey asked.
Victoria was looking around, mind buzzing as she formulated a strategy, when she saw a familiar tunnel not far away. She and Fyrn had used it once or twice to get to their training cave, to shake off anyone who might have been following them.
“Get it away from everyone else!” she shouted.
Victoria charged, waving he
r hands to get the beast's attention. Beside her, Audrey followed suit. The creature zeroed in on them, its front legs crashing to the ground. The ground shook underneath it. Victoria lost her balance for a second and stumbled and the snarx charged, immensely faster than it should have been. Victoria recovered her balance and raced toward the tunnel.
Side by side, she and Audrey ran as fast as they could. The beast would snap at them now and then. It missed Audrey by inches. As she ducked the attack, she fell, rolling. Dust kicked into the air. She regained her balance and jumped into an alley seconds before the creature’s tail flattened her.