“Ah, Markus, I had hoped we would meet again.”
To give the man credit, he held his ground. Most men who faced Kane with Hob at his side broke and ran. This one drew his sword, although it didn’t take Kane long to disarm him. He shoved Markus back against a nearby tree and held him there with the tip of his sword pressed against his captive’s stomach.
“Care to tell me where you were headed?”
Markus was too busy staring down at Hob to answer. Kane tried again. “Was the duke sending you to seek aid from his nobles?”
Finally, the sergeant looked up. “What is that thing?”
Kane sighed with disgust. “A gargoyle. Since it is unlikely you’ve ever encountered one before, you should know that his venom is poisonous, and he hasn’t yet fed today. Now, answer me. What is your business out here? Were you riding to request aid for the duke?”
Markus shook his head. “No. I’ve resigned my commission with the duke. I haven’t spoken with him at all, not since last night when he ordered me to . . .”
He hesitated before continuing, his eyes shifting away to the side.
Kane brought the tip of his sword up to Markus’s neck, the razor-sharp blade drawing blood. “When he ordered you to do what?”
The guard swallowed hard before answering. “He ordered me to take Lady Theda down to the chambers where he’d held you prisoner. Keirthan knows she helped you escape.”
Fear for her knifed through Kane’s heart, but he continued to talk, hoping to learn as much as he could before ending the man’s life.
“We both know you provided him with any number of victims, even knowing what he had planned for them. Why quit now?”
Besides the fact that by betraying Theda, the bastard had signed his own death warrant.
Markus shrank in upon himself, as if he’d suddenly aged two decades. “Something you did weakened the duke’s powers. He’s desperate to rebuild it, and he’s been using anyone he can snare with his magic. When I made rounds last night, the guards were missing. I found them down below, all dead. There had to be a dozen or more. I won’t be the next one he catches.”
Kane fought to keep from killing the bastard before he got the answer to one more question. “And Lady Theda, what of her?”
Markus shook hard enough to rattle his teeth. “He made her watch. I think she was in shock, but as of an hour ago, she still lived.”
“And you left her there?”
Markus’s head dropped. “To my shame, I did.”
Kane stepped back, lowering his sword. “Pick up your weapon and say your prayers. Although I doubt the gods will listen to a man who broke faith with both those he was sworn to protect and those he was sworn to lead.”
Markus didn’t argue. As he faced off against Kane, he said, “Please tell Lady Theda I regret my actions.”
He held up his sword in salute, and the fight began. It didn’t last long.
* * *
Kane gritted his teeth and kept riding. He doubted Lady Lavinia could hear the battle being waged on the far side of the city, but the god-enhanced senses of the Damned painted a clear picture for him and the other three warriors. The fight for control of the city had begun. May the gods guide Gideon and Murdoch.
“We’re here.” Finally. “This is as far as we can ride.”
Kane dismounted and stroked the stallion’s nose. “Take the mares away from here, but not too far. If we fail, return to Lady Merewen.”
The horse shook his head and stomped his foot. Rogue had the heart of a warrior and wanted to fight. Kane understood his frustration. “This tunnel is no place for you. Now, go, my friend.”
As the horses moved away, Kane led his small force around to the far side of the hill to the hidden entrance. Kane knelt down to study the lock. As he worked on the mechanism, Duncan stood close by with Lavinia at his side. She hid her fear well, but Kane could taste it on the air. Sigil and Averel brought up the rear, both men scanning their surroundings for any sign of opposition.
It took him several tries before the lock clicked open because he kept picturing Theda chained and bleeding as Ifre Keirthan tormented her in retaliation for assisting Kane. He had to block out his fear for her, knowing he’d serve her far better with his emotions running cold.
It was time to call forth the other four-legged avatars. Within seconds, Averel’s dogs and the huge wolf that belonged to Sigil joined Hob in prowling the area. Kane opened the door wide and motioned everyone inside. Before closing the door completely, he considered their options. The four men and their beasts could see to move in the darkness well enough, but that wasn’t true for Duncan’s lady.
“Lady Lavinia, a bright light will alert the enemy that we are coming. But if the darkness will bother you, I will light one.”
Lavinia held out her palm, and he felt the stir of magic as a small ball of light flared to life. Kane smiled in approval. He should’ve guessed that she would know how to call mage light. Her control was good enough to ensure the circle of illumination barely extended an arm’s length in front of her.
The light floated down to hover near their knees, reducing its visibility even more while lighting the way before her. When it was stable, she said, “Let me know when you wish me to douse it, Lord Kane.”
He nodded as he closed the door behind them, making sure it locked. With battle fever raging within him, Kane started forward with his sword drawn and his friends following after him. If Keirthan wasn’t in his chambers, they would have to fight their way through his great hall until they found him.
But find him they would.
* * *
The tunnel stretched on forever, gradually sloping downward to cross under the city walls. Kane cursed when he almost tripped over Hob for the third time. The gargoyle clearly remembered their last trip down the tunnel and had no interest in a repeat visit.
Kane stooped down to reassure his friend. “Steady, boy. We’ll be leaving this tunnel behind soon.”
He’d pitched his voice low, intending the words of reassurance for Hob’s ears only, but both Sigil and Duncan responded anyway.
“Not soon enough.”
They laughed softly, lightening their mood even if it had no effect on their situation. He needed to gauge how far they had left to go.
“Remain here. I want to make sure that we’re not walking into a trap.”
Duncan wrapped his free arm around Lavinia’s waist and stepped back. Kane motioned Hob to follow him and started forward. He’d gone about forty steps when he heard voices speaking up ahead. Kane tightened the grip on his swords, straining to hear what was being said.
“Talk to Captain Markus, Commander. He should be dealing with the city defenses.”
“I couldn’t find him, Sire. No one has seen him since last night.”
To Kane’s relief, Theda spoke next. “Ifre, don’t tell me Markus already regrets his promotion. Perhaps he had second thoughts, considering the short lives of those who were captain before him. Only Kane survived long enough to escape your clutches.”
As glad as he was to know she was still alive and strong enough to speak, he worried about what would happen if she were to continue to taunt her brother-in-law. As tempting as it was to go charging in, Kane held his position. He needed to know more before he could figure out how best to attack Keirthan.
The other man spoke again. “Sire, the army awaits your orders.”
Keirthan sighed in obvious frustration. “What would you suggest?”
“The capital is being attacked from two sides. Right now two of my three companies are defending the gates to the city and trying to hold off the enemy. They need reinforcements and fast. I can send the third company of army regulars to one gate, but I need your guards to join the fight at the south gate.”
Keirthan snapped, “Send your men wherever you want to, but not my guard. Their job is to protect me, not the city.”
“But, Sire—”
Keirthan cut off the protest before the man c
ould speak another word. From the sound of choking, the bastard had used the same spell on his own commander that Damijan had used to immobilize Kane earlier.
“Don’t argue. Do as I said and send all of your own forces to hold the gates against the enemy. Now, go and leave me to my work. I, too, shall play a role in keeping the city safe. The enemy will come to regret their decision to attack me.”
The commander managed to whisper, “Yes, Sire.”
As soon as his footsteps faded away, Keirthan began speaking again. “Theda, you would think even those fools should be able to hold the gate long enough for me to unleash my weapon. My enemies will die as my fury rains down from the sky. No one will oppose me once they know the true scope of my power.”
Kane reached the end of the tunnel in time to see Keirthan chanting as he raised his knife over the chest of his latest victim. Kane bellowed in fury and charged forward, only to run into an invisible wall. He watched in horror as the duke brought the blade down in a sweeping curve, cutting deep into the man’s chest.
The dark cloud immediately swooped down onto the struggling prisoner’s chest, its color pulsing black as the night sky as it suckled greedily of the blood. When Damijan finished feasting, it turned its crimson gaze toward Ifre himself.
“More.”
Keirthan glared up at his creation. “Not until you attack those outside the gate.”
The cloud spun on its axis, picking up speed as three bright spots flickered to life in its interior. With a clap like thunder, bolts of light shot out from its center, disappearing straight through the stone walls. Almost immediately, Kane heard answering explosions in the distance. Memories of similar attacks on Gideon’s avatar and Merewen’s horses only fed his need to destroy the duke and his magic.
The cloud faded again as it gave voice to its demands. “More. Promised. Don’t argue.”
The duke’s movements were jerky as he unchained the body on the altar and rolled it off onto the floor. With a flick of his wrist, another man stumbled forward from the back of the chamber, his eyes wild as he fought against the summons. For the first time, Kane noticed the ragged line of people clustered on the far side of the fire pit.
How had he missed seeing them? More important, why hadn’t the army commander said anything? As soon as the prisoner made it to the altar, the rest of the people disappeared behind a shimmer of power again. The same spell that prevented Kane from entering the chamber must also mask the presence of anyone behind it. Did that mean that the mage hadn’t detected Kane’s arrival?
He retreated to where the others waited for him. “Lady Theda has not yet been sacrificed, but he has others waiting to die. We’ve got to stop him, but there’s a barrier between the tunnel and the chamber itself I couldn’t break through.”
Duncan frowned. “Lavinia, it sounds like the ward that you set in the abbey library. The one that made the books beyond disappear or made people forget that they’d even seen them.”
She agreed. “It must be similar. If we can get close enough for me to test it, I should be able to counter it.”
The four men formed up around her and moved out with swords drawn, their avatars providing rear guard. As they reached the end of the tunnel, Lavinia’s mage light winked out, leaving only the dim glow from the chamber itself.
Kane stood next to Lavinia, speaking softly. “Will your earth magic counter his spell, or do you need me to try since my magic is closer in nature to his? It has been centuries since I wielded such magic. If I ever knew the right spell, I don’t remember it now.”
“Let me attempt it first. If that doesn’t work, I will explain how you should try.” She stepped in front of the four men and closed her eyes. “For now, when I nod, try the ward and see if you can push through it.”
As she chanted, Kane listened carefully to the words. They came from one of the old tongues, one Kane had grown up speaking. If her attempt failed, he should be able to repeat the spell.
When she nodded, he stepped past her and slammed right into the same power that had stopped him before. She chanted faster, her voice growing in volume. The second time she nodded, Kane was able to push forward several more steps than before, but then the ward held again.
This time, Kane joined her, his deep voice playing counterpoint to hers. The power of their words increased until it stung his skin as they continued to call on the gods to break through the dark magic. Duncan and Sigil both pushed against the barrier, but it refused to give.
Sigil put his hand on Lavinia’s shoulder and motioned for Duncan to do the same to Kane. As soon as they did, the wall of power flamed bright and shattered. The four men once again drew their weapons and stalked forward into the chamber.
* * *
So intent on her brother-in-law’s atrocities, Theda didn’t immediately notice they were no longer alone. It wasn’t until the monster spun away from where it had been hovering over Ifre’s shoulder that she spotted the newcomers.
“Kane!”
As soon as she said his name, she wished she’d controlled her tongue. Ifre threw up his hands, trying to cast the spell that would ensnare Kane and his friends in the same sticky mire that held all of the other prisoners in his thrall.
To her amazement, a striking woman stepped forward, her own hands glowing brightly. Then she tossed two balls of light, one at Ifre and one at the cloud. The effect was minimal at best. When Kane growled a series of words that sounded jagged and sharp to Theda’s ear, the results were far more spectacular.
A burst of dark light burst over Ifre’s head, sending sparks fluttering around him, temporarily freezing him in position. As soon as that happened, the prisoners broke free of the duke’s control, including Theda herself. Ifre had been so confident in his magic, that he’d only loosely tied her wrists. Ignoring the pain, she jerked her hands free and bolted from the chair to help shepherd the prisoners from the room. She sent them pelting back down the passageway toward the door to the great hall, following just far enough to make sure they found their way.
This time Ifre hadn’t limited his predations to the servants; several were nobles. She caught one by the arm. “Lord Kai, do what you can to get the army to stand down. I swear upon my late husband’s honor that those at the gate are there to overthrow the duke, not to harm the people of Agathia. Tell them that I’m not asking them to surrender the city, only to delay any further attacks.”
He glanced back toward Ifre. “I will do my best, my lady. They may not listen to me. Perhaps if you spoke to them yourself.”
Torn between her love of Kane and her duty to her people, she made the only decision she could live with. “I must help them defeat Ifre. I will follow when I can.”
When she returned to the chambers, it was a scene out of her darkest nightmares. Keirthan had broken free of Kane’s attack. Right now the cloud was pulsing again, its color changing once more, growing blacker, with several spots of light flickering at its center. By the gods, Ifre was going to unleash his weapon here!
Once again, the woman mage moved up to stand beside Kane. She recognized Averel when he stepped into sight. The third man’s eyes marked him as another of the Damned. It was the fourth man who had her crying out. “Terrick!”
Ifre recognized him at the same time. “Traitor! You bastard! You weren’t defeated by my enemies! You joined them.”
He barked a word at the cloud, which immediately shot another of its bolts straight at Terrick. Her stepson threw up his hands, easily deflecting the light, sending it arrowing straight back at its creator. Ifre staggered back a step, but continued to target his five opponents with bolt after bolt of sizzling power.
Between Kane, the woman, and Terrick, they blocked the attacks, but they’d also retreated several steps as Ifre pushed more and more of his power into the bolts. That’s when she noticed the cloud had circled around behind them, and he was driving them straight toward it. A few more steps, they would stumble right into the trap.
She shouted his name. “Ter
rick, behind you!”
When he didn’t respond, she tried again. “Averel! Kane! Behind you!”
The warning came in time to save the two of them, but not Terrick. The darkness engulfed him, his screams ripping at her heart. Desperate to do something—anything—to save him, she charged up on the dais straight across to shove Ifre, hoping to break his concentration. As he tumbled over the edge of the dais, he caught her hand and dragged her down with him.
The impact knocked the breath out of her, but Ifre came up screaming like a madman. He pulled her up to stand in front of him, using her to block any more attacks as he resumed firing those bolts of light.
Averel and Kane faced off against him while the woman and the third warrior were focusing on Ifre’s creation. Kane shouted at it in that harsh language. It shuddered and released Terrick. He fell to the floor and scrambled back toward his friends. Once again, the cloud had faded, its color now more white than gray. It was impossible to know whether the spells being cast by the woman and Kane were responsible or if Ifre himself had weakened it with all the power he’d been burning. She didn’t care as long as it left Terrick alone.
While the woman watched the cloud, Kane turned his attention back in Ifre’s direction. He stared past her at her brother-in-law. Did Ifre see his own death written in Kane’s pale gaze?
“Release her.”
Her brother-in-law laughed. “And what? You’ll let me go?”
Kane sneered. “No. I’ll kill you, but I’ll make it quick. That’s more than you deserve, and a better offer than what you’ll get from your creation. Do you really think Damijan will continue to serve you? Already you are bending to its will.”
Keirthan’s answering laughter sounded shrill. “It remains mine to command, Kane. Surrender to my creation, and I will release Theda to your friends.”
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