It would have seemed too easy if there weren’t so many of them. Cale worried they’d exhaust themselves before Kaida could do whatever she was planning. The Mothers didn’t need speed or ambition. They just needed to wait until Cale and his family were too tired to fight back, but he couldn’t stop to preserve energy either. The Mothers would surround him and kill him if he paused for even a second. He had no choice but to fight.
“Maker, Kaida, what are you doing!”
Battles with the Mothers could be endless. For every two Cale slaughtered, five took their place. He worried it would be the end of him this time.
A Mother reached out with an arm-turned-sword and plunged its weapon forwards with unexpected energy. Cale dodged. Barely.
All around him, the Mothers screeched. The unnatural sound rang in his ears and echoed in his head, leaving an odd numbness in its wake.
More arms turned to swords. The demons were ready to fight back in earnest.
Cale breathed deep and raised his sword in response. If they were ready to fight properly, he’d indulge them.
“For Rachael!”
“For Rachael!” his Sparrows echoed.
Three Mothers closed in on him at once, their ethereal blades black and sharp. He remembered what one of those weapons had done to Erimentha, how clean it had cut through flesh.
Cale refused to go the same way.
He drove his sword into the first Mother before they could retaliate, but that just drew the others’ attention. They slashed at him as one.
Cale roll-dodged to the side. Where their blades hit the ground, they dug deep into the soil. The Mothers had to dissolve them to draw them back out—
Which gave Cale an opening. He shoved his blade into the side of the Mother closest to him. The last of the three screamed and raised its blade high. He lunged at the demon before it could attack.
And didn’t quite make it.
Cale buried his sword deep inside the demon at the same time as the Mother plunged its weapon into his shoulder. The pain knocked the air out of him. He dropped his sword, bright flashes and brilliant agony forcing him to his knees. His sword arm was of no use to him now, and he couldn’t fight well with his left hand.
Cale refused to die on his knees, but he doubted he’d be much of an opponent now.
Chapter Fifty-Two
Kaida landed on top of the Dark One’s temple on Kaethe with a heavy thud. Her energy reserves were low, and her magic was dwindling; she had no use for elegant landings. Her hurried flight had taken her breath away, but she didn’t have time to stand and collect herself. She’d rest soon enough. Right now, she needed to do what she should have done hundreds of years ago.
She had always liked the smell of rain—cold, refreshing, and today, final. Kaida breathed deep and allowed herself a few seconds to feel the drops on her skin and face. Her hair stuck to her forehead and left wet patches on the back of her dress. She’d miss it, if she got the chance. Kaida spread her arms wide to embrace it.
She had wanted to stop in Naikino and Maishi Hou, but there hadn’t been time. A last thought was all she could spare. Ohira Kei, who had kept her secret. Yoko and Natalia, who had been friends to her in these last years. Kaida smiled when she thought of Michiko, a little girl in Kei’s care. She would have liked to observe what the child would become, but she had done what she wished for long enough.
She ran her hands over her face and opened her eyes to the rain. “Goodbye, old friend.”
Kaida took in the bleak island around her. It looked even sadder now that dark clouds hung over the ancient trees and rain hid the depressing excuses for houses behind its hazy veil. Kaethe appeared abandoned, but she doubted it was so. It was unlikely Cephy had taken every Mother with her. Kaida would face some resistance, but a few Mothers would be no match for her. Good. She didn’t have enough energy left to waste any.
Kaida entered the temple and threw a lone Mother off the edge with a thought. Perhaps all this time amongst humans had made her weak. Perhaps Mavis had done this to her.
Perhaps Kaida didn’t mind.
Humans are temporary, Kaida. We are above them, in every regard.
She hadn’t remembered her father’s words in a very long time. He had died thousands of years ago, in some other war she barely remembered. Humans had been young then, a different civilisation to the one that ruled today. For reasons she hadn’t understood, her father had joined their fight.
“It appears this weakness runs in the family, father.”
They cannot defend themselves from us or themselves. They will expire unlike us.
She had internalised his words when he had first spoken them. It hadn’t occurred to her back then—a young dragon of two hundred years—that he’d reminded himself as much as he’d taught her.
The Dark One’s temple was a large maze to anyone unfamiliar with the layout. If she’d tried to locate any other chamber or common object, her search would have taken hours. But Kaida needed to find the main ritual chamber, and years of worship and sacrificial magic had left traces. They reached out, the final pleas of slaughtered innocents forever echoing through the halls. The Mothers fed on that fear and despair, and the residue strengthened with every nibble they took. Kaida doubted Cephy had been aware of it, but she heard the cries and they led her right to the ritual chamber. The lower Kaida went, the louder the magic pulsed. It was dark and wrong and suffocating, but also a sign that she was going the right way.
Few Mothers had stayed behind. Without the Dark One here, they roamed without aim. If they’d all ambushed her together, she’d have needed too much magic to defeat them and complete the ritual, but they emerged one by one from random rooms. Easy pickings, even in her current state. With a flick of her wrist, Kaida threw five demons into the nearest wall, pinned them there, and burnt them.
Had Cephy noticed Kaida was gone and figured out what she was doing? The girl had so much potential. If another Mist Woman had got to her, taught her, trained her… Kaida slammed a door in a demon’s face and set the room on fire. Cephy could have been brilliant, but she was young and corrupted beyond saving. Kaida had seen her mind, if only briefly. Cephy was focussed on destroying Rachael and enslaving everyone who had ever raised a finger against the gifted. It was unlikely she’d realised Kaida had left.
If Cephy won tonight, a different world would wake tomorrow. Fortunately for the current world, Kaida was getting close to the ritual chamber.
She stopped when she felt a strong hum beneath her feet. It vibrated through her soles and beckoned her closer.
She stood right on top of the ritual chamber.
Kaida reached out with her gift, annoyed that it took effort to do so, and felt her way along the floor until she reached the next room beneath her. She aimed her magic, narrowed her focus—
And let go. Her magic tore a hole into the ground. Kaida shielded herself from the rubble and dust and levitated herself down. The room was deeper than the one above and in darkness. No lights flickered to life when her feet touched the ground, but she didn’t need to see to smell.
Blood. Lots of it.
Kaida called forth a small light which hovered above her and lit the room. Drains and pipes from other rooms ended in this one. The floor was sticky and discoloured from the blood that had collected here over the years. All the sacrifices, all the lives Cephy and whoever came before her hadn’t needed, had ended here.
Kaida wished she could do more—cleanse the room and maybe give the tortured souls peace—but she had no magic to spare for it, and Rachael depended on her. If Kaida didn’t hurry, the room would run red again soon enough.
She opened the door and turned a sharp left only to be met with a locked door. Kaida recognised the magic. It was a form of pure Mist magic mortals couldn’t use. She expected Cephy and Aeron had needed the demons to open it for them.
But Kaida was no mortal, and she was no ordinary Mist Woman.
She sent out her magic, slow and careful so as not to p
ermanently lock it by accident, and explored her options. It was intricate, almost as much of a maze as the temple itself, but with the right care…
…and the right twitch at the right moment…
…it opened for her.
Kaida smiled. She was close now; she sensed the power behind the door.
Kaida pushed it open and sent out her light to illuminate every detail. There was a large pool in the middle, worn around the edges and discoloured worse than the last room. All sacrifices had happened here. Their blood would have collected here before the last slivers had run away next door. She doubted Cephy, Aeron or whoever had worshipped the Dark One before had allowed much to escape.
This was where Aeron had first made her pact with the Dark One. This was where Cephy would sacrifice Rachael—or at least offer her blood.
And now it was Kaida’s grave.
She’d always thought she’d die old atop a mountain, overlooking the world at her feet one last time. She’d never thought she’d die so young inside a dark temple, as far away from the skies as she could get.
But she’d die doing the right thing. Perhaps that was enough.
“Look at me now, father. I am dying for them, just like you did.”
The spell itself was no challenge for her. Continuing to chant while she shredded her soul was another matter.
She left the door open. If any Mothers came in now, her magic would tear them apart, and this way she saw light one more time. Not daylight, but…
Kaida sighed, and pushed an orb of magic towards the corridor wall. It tore right through, allowing the outside to peek in.
Kaida inhaled. Smelled the rain.
And began her work.
Chapter Fifty-Three
“What’s wrong, Cephy?” Rachael said. She walked closer to the girl, who took a step back for every one Rachael took. “Are you scared I’ll get through your shield?”
Cephy created two large fireballs the size of her head and threw them at Rachael. Emotional control had never been Cephy’s strong point. Rachael could work with that.
She rolled through under the fireballs and stabbed her sword at Cephy, who jumped back. At this rate, they’d both tire out—but Cephy’s magic would weaken as a result, whereas Rachael’s sword would cut her no matter how tired she was.
Rachael stepped closer.
“End this, Cephy. I want the same thing as you.”
“Liar!” Cephy launched an even larger fireball at Rachael. She missed, but barely; Rachael felt its heat on her skin even through her armour. “You’ve forgiven our enemies!”
Another step.
Almost there.
“People without the gift aren’t against us, Cephy. They are scared because they don’t understand magic.”
Cephy lit up like a beacon. If any Sparrows had tried to find her, they’d be able to see her now.
“They don’t deserve forgiveness!”
“They deserve the chance to earn it.”
Rachael lunged her sword right at Cephy’s heart—
And froze.
She couldn’t move.
She couldn’t see.
At the back of her mind, the Dark One laughed in triumph.
You will not escape me this time, Sparrow.
The pain of his voice right there, in her head, was too much. She felt herself scream but didn’t hear a thing.
How does it feel to know you have failed everyone?
Sandpaper on her veins. Scratching and rubbing until she bled.
Rachael tried not to hear him. She tried not to pay any attention to his words. But he was everywhere, and she had nothing else to focus on.
He laughed. The torture of it almost split her head.
Await your end, Sparrow, and revel in the knowledge that your pain will be over long before theirs.
Rachael tried to wriggle a finger, shift her foot or shake her head, but her body didn’t obey her. She gulped as her insides twisted; she couldn’t die like this. Cephy had to be aiming another fireball at her heart right now, and Rachael couldn’t dodge it this time.
Or maybe Cephy wouldn’t. Rachael doubted they’d need her alive to get her blood, but she hoped they’d prefer to sacrifice her at the temple. She needed time.
The last time the Dark One had placed a block on her mind, she’d broken free by focussing on the foreign magic and side-stepping it. But His magic was everywhere this time. Last time, it had been as easy as tunnelling under a wall, and it still hadn’t been all that simple. Right now, her whole head was filled with thick, black Mist, and she no longer saw a way through it.
Deep inside her, something warmed. Called out to her.
Use me.
She’d never used her gift like this before; but then, how else had she broken through His defences last time? She just needed a little more this time—enough to dissolve his dark energy and clear her head.
Rachael reached within. Her gift was already there, and it was eager. She couldn’t risk the Dark One realising what she was doing; she’d need to go slow and stealthy.
Gently, she nudged her gift from her core into her temples and waited. She still felt the Dark One’sMmist magic, but she no longer felt His presence. Whatever He was doing, He wasn’t focussed on her for the moment. Even more reason to break free. If He was paying attention to her Sparrows, she needed to distract Him.
Rachael hoped her gift was strong enough. She hoped there was enough of it. What had Kaida said? Her gift was part of her soul, much older than this body. That’s how it had recognised her sword. Whatever small feats Rachael thought she was capable of, she was wrong. She was capable of so much more.
She let go of her gift and released it into her mind.
The Dark One’s magic responded. Screamed, twisted, and coiled around hers.
It hurt.
It wanted to rip her head in two.
More, she demanded—
And her mind exploded with light.
Her eyes flew open, and she gasped. She hadn’t realised how silent it had been inside herself until the desperate sounds of battle rushed at her. It was disorienting. The clanging of steel blades against the demons’ magically crafted swords was too loud in her ears. There was too much movement around her, so she found the one spot she could focus on.
Cephy.
The girl stood just as frozen, her eyes wide in shock. “How did you—”
“I’m better than you think. Let’s end this, Cephy.”
Cephy glared, her eyes filled with fire. “You’re still no match for me. You can barely stand, I can see it.”
“Good thing she won’t have to do it alone then.”
Rachael’s heart skipped. Kiana.
“We’ve been trying to find you,” Kiana said, “but most of us are too preoccupied with surviving.” She twirled her daggers and grinned. “They’re just not as good as I am. Besides, Cephy here led me right to you when she turned herself into a human torch.”
Rachael smiled. She’d known someone would se it.
“I give you one last chance to turn yourself in and end this madness,” Rachael said. “You don’t have to die.”
“I don’t,” Cephy said, her own grin a twisted grimace. “But you do.” Three Mothers appeared by her sides.
“I take them,” Kiana said. “You get Cephy.”
Rachael nodded, and attacked.
Chapter Fifty-Four
Arnost Lis stayed out of the battle as much as he could. He wasn’t a fighter; he’d only be in the way, and, more to the point, he’d die. He had too much work to do for that once the battle was won.
A ring of Mothers guarded him, awaiting his command. Now the Mothers were here, others could find their energy and come to them at a moment’s notice. Behind his wall, he couldn’t tell how well the Sparrows were doing, but it hardly mattered. Rachael and her little excuse for an army were outnumbered. He had wanted to bring their full force to the fight, but Cephy had refused, said she’d still need an army to enslave her ene
mies once they had won the war. He’d called on a few more Mothers regardless whenever the Sparrows had cut down their numbers a little too much for his liking. Cephy wouldn’t be happy, but it would do her good to remember who gave the real orders.
Cephy was wasting time. Why the girl hadn’t killed the witch queen and sacrificed her already was beyond him. Once the witch queen’s blood was spilled and the Dark One no longer needed a host, he’d kill Cephy. The girl had been useful—it’s why he’d decided to work with her, after all—but she was almost at the end of her usefulness, and he wanted to return to Tramura.
If everything went according to plan, Cephy would be tired after her fight with the witch queen. Of course, Arnost Lis couldn’t allow the Dark One to rule either. The Dark One wanted a world where the gifted led war against Tramuran beliefs, but it wouldn’t come to that. The witch queen would die, and Cephy wouldn’t expect his sword to split her heart. Or perhaps she did expect it? It didn’t matter. She’d be too tired to be a challenge.
His obstacles would be dead, and the Dark One would be forced to return to the Mists without a willing host. Arnost Lis would slay three abominations without much effort.
Maybe then his king would realise his true value and elevate him further.
But for now, he was happy to wait for the witch queen to die.
The Mothers around him opened a gap and exposed him to the fighting.
“What’s this? I demand you close the barrier at once.”
The two before him formed swords out of their misty arms and pointed to a place behind the battle.
He squinted. There was something in the distance, but he couldn’t quite see what it was or why it had the Mothers’ attention.
The spot grew larger.
When he realised what it was, he paled.
“Call for reinforcements. Now!”
They gained ground fast, but even from a distance Arnost Lis made out the unmistakable armour of the Parashi and the blasted white armour of Rifarne’s White Guard. Somehow, the witch queen had called her allies.
All around him, the Red Wastes turned black as more Mothers arrived. A third of them disintegrated. Arnost Lis gritted his teeth; the witch queen had Mist Women fighting for her. He supposed like called to like.
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