Rock, Paper, Shivers

by Sara C. Roethle

  Estus smiled coldly, then met my eyes, not seeming to view Marcos as a threat. “I never liked sharing power anyhow,” he muttered, then turned and ran, far too nimble for a man of his apparent age.

  I expected Marcos, possessed by Mara, to follow him, but his body began to quiver as he dropped back to his knees before me. The dagger clattered to the floor beside him as his hands gripped my thighs almost painfully. His head bowed near my lap.

  “I don’t have much longer,” he said, turning his gaze upward to meet my eyes. “This body still has a soul, and I am too weak to maintain my hold. My time here is through.”

  Though I was looking down at a man, Mara’s fierce energy shone through his gray eyes. I wanted to reach out to cradle his face, but my hands were still bound.

  Suddenly Alaric and Mikael came crashing into the room, followed by Faas.

  “What the—” Faas began, just as Alaric leapt toward Marcos.

  “No!” I shouted, stopping him mid-motion.

  I looked back down to Marcos as he lifted a hand to cradle my face instead. “You are so much stronger than I ever was,” he whispered. “I know you will complete the cycle. You will restore balance, where I failed.”

  Marcos slumped onto my lap as Mara’s energy left him. I couldn’t tell if he was unconscious or dead, and I didn’t really care. Mara was gone. I was now alone in my body for the first time in what seemed like years. I should have been ecstatic, but all I could feel was loss.

  Alaric took a step forward while Mikael and Faas stood back. Not asking questions, he gently pushed Marcos aside, allowing him to slump down to the floor before he began untying my bonds. He tensed as he noticed my bloody arm, but continued his work.

  When I was free, he helped me stand, and I needed the help. Despite all that had happened, I’d still been drained of energy, and I’d still gone two nights without sleep. Faas wasn’t the only one who’d weakened me to the point of vulnerability. I’d done just as much damage myself.

  As I leaned against Alaric, we both looked down at Aislin. She was still alive, though blood splattered out of her mouth as she tried to breath, lying immobile on her back.

  “Do we let her die?” Mikael questioned. There was a wicked smile on his face, as if he was very pleased with the notion.

  I looked down at Aislin, for the first time feeling absolutely no sympathy for someone’s death. I could distantly feel her pain, but it was nothing compared to the enormous loss I felt within me. Emotional pain trumps physical pain without fail.

  “Everything dies,” I answered coldly as I stared at Aislin’s bloody chest.

  Her eyes darted around the room frantically until they met mine. I instructed Alaric to help me kneel beside her and added, “Even gods,” just as I placed my hand on her cheek and stole her life away.

  17

  Stealing Aislin’s energy gave me a measure of strength, but I was still painfully weary. Alaric helped me back to my feet to face Mikael and Fass.

  “Estus was here,” I explained.

  “I thought I smelled him,” Alaric growled, maintaining a tight grip around my waist.

  “He took the key,” I added, not sure how I felt about that fact.

  Marcos had claimed that some of the key’s energy still remained inside me, though I couldn’t sense it, nor could I sense any lingering energy from Mara.

  Faas gasped, then looked me up and down. “I sense traces of its energy, but it’s more like part of you, not a foreign entity. How is that possible?”

  I shrugged. I had an idea, but nothing was concrete. “One of the Norns once told me she could transfer the key from me to my child. Marcos used the blood of the Norn’s he helped kill for the ritual. They are the fates, part of Yggdrasil, so their blood calls to the key.”

  “Marcos?” Alaric questioned softly.

  I turned partially to look down at the executioner. I could see the rise and fall of his chest. Just unconscious then, not dead. Pity.

  “So you’re free,” Alaric muttered in awe as we all stared down at Marcos.

  “But Estus has the key,” I added.

  Alaric turned to me, grabbing both my arms in his so I would meet his eyes directly. “This doesn’t have to be your fight anymore.”

  What I was about to say made me want to cry, but I had to say it. “I made a promise. This is my fight until the bitter end.”

  Mikael stepped into view. “Do not do this just for Erykah. I will find Estus and avenge her myself.”

  I could sense the truth in his words. He would go after Estus and the key, even if it meant his death.

  I shook my head. “Erykah wasn’t the only one I made a promise to. I have to set things right.” I turned back to Alaric. “I will not bring my child into a world where Estus is the omnipotent leader. He wants to enact vengeance against all of mankind. The death of one tyrant has not ended this war.”

  Alaric pulled me close, wrapping his arms tightly around me. I almost thought he was crying, but when he pulled away, his eyes were dry.

  Still, his tortured expression made my heart hurt. “It will be okay,” I soothed.

  He nodded. “I know.”

  A tear did slip down his face then.

  I lifted a finger and wiped it away. “Then why are you sad?”

  He smiled despite his tears and pulled me into another crushing hug. His body moved with laughter as he held me close. “The moment that you said you still had to fight, not out of vengeance, but because it’s the right thing to do. In that moment, I knew you were fully yourself again. Part of me thought I had lost you.”

  I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed just as tightly as I let out a few tears of my own. “Did you really think that small things like the root of chaos and an ancient deity could keep me away from you?” I joked.

  He stroked my hair, still holding me tight. “Not for a moment, but it’s a relief either way.”

  “Oh enough cuddling,” someone said from behind us.

  I pulled away from Alaric enough to see Sophie clattering down a set of stairs leading into the room, which led me to actually look around the rest of the room. It wasn’t a Salr, that much was clear. The room just looked like a plain old cellar, except for the corpse and the blood everywhere.

  Sophie was followed by Aila, and both of Aislin’s people, whose names I was yet to catch.

  I lost my breath as I suddenly recalled just how I’d fallen into Estus’ and Aislin’s hands.

  “Where is James?” I asked weakly.

  I was met with silence.

  I looked to Sophie, knowing she of all people would be brutally honest with me.

  “He finally got what he deserved,” she said coldly.

  One of Aislin’s people, the man with coppery skin and long dark hair, stepped around us to look at his former Doyen. He nudged the arm of her corpse with the toe of his boot, making it flop lifelessly.

  “She’s much less scary this way,” he commented. His eyes met mine. “I owe you for my newfound freedom, and will help you if I can, but I do not desire a new leader.”

  “Nor do I,” the female chimed in, keeping her distance, “though I’m also grateful.”

  I looked to Mikael, Faas, and Aila, who now stood side by side.

  “Well you know I’m not going anywhere,” Mikael teased.

  Aila sighed, but nodded her assent, while Faas smiled softly.

  “To the bitter end?” I questioned.

  Mikael reached out his hand with a wry grin. Smiling, I put my hand on top of his. Alaric followed suit, then came Aila and Faas. With a sigh loud enough to make sure everyone knew how annoyed she was, Sophie marched across the room and slapped her hand down on top of Faas’.

  “To the bitter end,” she sighed.

  We all echoed her, pushing our palms down before lifting them all up in unison.

  “The fellowship lives!” Mikael exclaimed.

  I laughed at the Lord of the Rings reference as one of Aislin’s people muttered to the other, “W
hat have we gotten ourselves into?”

  Alaric suddenly pulled me aside. Staying within his grasp, I turned to see Marcos climbing to his feet, using the chair I’d been tied to for balance.

  Mikael came to stand on my other side, observing the executioner. “Do we kill him?”

  I gritted my teeth as I glared at Marcos, who now stood silently, bravely awaiting his fate. “We might need him to tear the key out of Estus.”

  “But will he cooperate?” Mikael asked quizzically, continuing to speak about Marcos like he wasn’t even there.

  The necromancer’s face remained stony. I couldn’t sense a single drop of emotion from him. He was either capable of completely shutting me out, or he just didn’t feel anything.

  I sighed, feeling guilty because I kind of wished Marcos had just died in all of the commotion, making the tough decision for us. The memory of the Morrigan looking out at me from his eyes was still fresh on my mind, making me feel a measure of compassion toward him that I shouldn’t have.

  Plus, he’d been able to block me from my banshees, so he was dangerous . . . but perhaps it had only been since I was so weakened. Would he be able to do it now that I’d regained my strength from Aislin’s energy.

  I startled. Mara was gone. Did I even still have banshees? They were supposed to be under my command, so I should. The thought of them frightened me now that I was more myself, but we still needed an upper hand against Estus. Using the Norn’s blood, he’d lured the key into himself. I wasn’t sure if the key would work for him now, but it would still want to survive. Now that it was in Estus’ body, it would need him to survive as well.

  First thing was first though, I needed to see if the phantoms would still answer my call.

  I pulled away from Alaric and headed for the stairs. As I approached, a gust of fresh air hit me, drawing my gaze to the stars above.

  Alaric appeared behind me a moment later as I climbed the stairs out into the moonlight.

  I took in our surroundings, since I’d been unconscious when I’d first entered the cellar. Sparse trees surrounded us, and to my left was an old homestead, long since fallen into disrepair.

  Alaric and I stepped forward as the rest of our party joined us. Mikael and Aila came to stand beside me, each holding on to one of Marcos’ arms. Suddenly I felt like maybe we should kill him. If I was still able to call to the banshees, he might try to take control of them. I had no idea what necromancers were capable of.

  Alaric wrapped his arm around my shoulders as he said, “You should probably wait on certain things until we have this one locked away.” He nodded toward Marcos.

  I nodded in agreement, though it would be hard to wait. I really wanted to know how much Mara’s departure had affected our plans.

  Suddenly a shiver of what felt like electricity zinged down my spine. Alaric pulled his arm away as if he’d felt it too.

  “What was that?” he asked warily.

  I gasped as I realized what I was sensing. “Get Marcos away from here,” I ordered breathlessly.

  Mikael and Aila began to tug him away, but it was too late. The air grew even colder as dark shapes darted between us and the moon. The banshees were still around, and they’d found me.

  They descended as we all stood in awe. I wasn’t sure if they would listen to me now that Mara was gone, but it was our only hope.

  The banshees reached the ground and surrounded us, accompanied by other phantoms, their nightmare shapes only perceivable in my peripheral vision.

  We are sorry, my queen, a voice echoed through my head. We could not find you.

  I heaved a sigh of relief, and could sense Alaric relaxing beside me, though he hadn’t heard the voice.

  You are different, my queen, another banshee with a deeper voice observed.

  I cringed, and just as my mind flitted across the fact that Mara and the key had left me, the banshees suddenly knew, just as they knew my fears that they would no longer follow me.

  You are who we followed, the first one who’d spoken explained. You called us from the earth, and only you can return us.

  I sighed again. We had a chance. We could do this. The key might have been all powerful, but an army of phantoms was nothing to laugh at either. We would hunt Estus down and restore balance, no matter the cost. It was the least I could do, now that Mara was gone.

  Before I could explain to my living companions that we were in the clear, I felt something tugging at my consciousness. No, it was tugging at the phantoms.

  I felt sick as I remembered Marcos. I’d been so consumed with my inner dialogue I’d almost forgotten my initial fears. They were coming to life now as he tried to steal my phantoms.

  My eyes met his. Aila and Mikael had stopped their movements when the banshees appeared, and didn’t seem able to sense what Marcos was doing. It made sense. They had no affiliation with the dead. This struggle was between Marcos and I alone.

  A small, knowing smile curved the necromancer’s lips.

  Ever perceptive, even if he couldn’t feel the dead, Mikael asked, “Is he doing something that he shouldn’t be doing? I’ll gladly kill him.”

  “No,” I answered. “I mean yes, but don’t kill him.”

  I was no longer a scared little mouse, and this man was not stronger than me. I repeated the words like a mantra in my head, willing them to be true as I marched up to where Marcos stood, sandwiched between Mikael and Aila.

  His smile faltered, only to be replaced by his normal, stony expression. He gasped as I shut my shields into place, cutting him off from my phantoms.

  I came to stand before him, feeling smug. “I was weakened when you found me,” I explained, looking up since he was several inches taller than me.

  I was close enough to invade his personal bubble, but he couldn’t back away from Mikael and Aila’s iron grips.

  “And you may have taken the key from me,” I continued.

  A small measure of his sudden fear leaked through, then was shut away as he realized it.

  “But I,” I went on, “am not weak. I am the Morrigan incarnate, and lowly necromancers like you should be bowing at my feet.”

  He audibly gulped, surprising me almost as much as I’d just surprised myself.

  Mikael raised an eyebrow at me. “Are you sure the Morrigan left you?”

  I smiled as I turned to walk back to my waiting banshees, then thought better of it. My smile still in place, I spun back around and punched Marcos in the face.

  The impact reeled him backward, and the only thing that kept him from falling was Mikael’s grip as Aila stepped back.

  “That’s for kidnapping me and cutting my arm open,” I said evenly.

  Righting himself, Marcos nodded. “Yes, my queen,” he said evenly.

  Oh good grief, I thought, turning away as I tried to slow my speeding heart. Sophie had joined Alaric, and they were both grinning at me. Aislin’s minions, whose names I would have to learn at some point, just looked scared.

  Ignoring them, I approached Alaric.

  “Permission to kiss you, my queen?” he asked jokingly.

  “Permission granted,” I replied.

  As Alaric leaned in for a kiss, I heard one of Aislin’s people whisper, “I think they’re crazy.”

  I laughed, then Alaric smothered my lips with his. I wrapped my arms around his neck, not caring that we had strangers and a gaggle of banshees watching us, and kissed him for all I was worth.

  See? I told you I’m no creampuff.

  18

  We retreated back to the Salr. I hoped Kira wouldn’t mind the extra company. Something told me she’d be okay with it.

  We took Marcos with us. It was a dangerous move to leave him alive, but I didn’t want to risk losing a possibly useful resource. We needed all the resources we could get.

  He hadn’t spoken a word since the scene outside the cellar, but had come with us willingly. Something told me he had an entire internal plot of his own, but there was nothing I could do about it short of
killing him, so we would just have to wait and see.

  The main reason I wanted Marcos around was simple. If we could capture Estus, then maybe Marcos would be able to transfer the key back to me. I hadn’t voiced to anyone yet that this was my hope, since they would all call me crazy. Maybe I was. All I knew was that I would need the key to restore balance. I would also need the Morrigan’s energy, the energy of the earth, which hopefully I possessed on my own. The final piece was fate. All of Mikael’s Norns had been killed, but there had to still be some out there, and we would need to find them.

  Once I had gathered all of those pieces, I would hopefully know what to do. Mara had claimed I would know. I wasn’t sure if I would regrow Yggdrasil, or if putting all of those energies together would be enough to achieve anything of worth. Really, I didn’t know much at all. At the moment I was just grateful to be back with my friends, in a relatively safe, warm environment, my belly filled with food, and my skin draped in silky blue pajamas.

  I rolled over in bed to see Alaric, who had apparently been watching me as I mulled over my thoughts.

  He reached out a hand and stroked my hair. “You know Estus might come back here for you.”

  I smiled. “Let him. It would save us the trouble of finding him.”

  “You truly think you can subdue him, even though he now has the key?” he pressed.

  I placed my hand over his and brought it to rest against my cheek. “Your worry is making me anxious,” I teased.

  He smiled. “You know, teasing in dire situations is supposed to be my thing.”

  I snuggled a little closer. “The banshees will come to my call the moment I step foot outside. Mara, the Morrigan,” I corrected, realizing Alaric didn’t know her true name, “was a force equal to the key. The key was chaos, and she was the earth, and the balance between all things.”