The Dreg Trilogy Omnibus

by Bethany Hoeflich

  “Really?” Wynn pressed harder. “Because it looks like ya dragged me from bed for nothing.”

  Mara clutched at Wynn’s arm, trying to get space to breathe.

  The alarm sounded—a rich, deep horn that seemed to shake the foundation of the volcano. Wynn’s head whirled toward the source of the noise as her guards took off toward the secondary tunnel. Mara rubbed her neck once the pressure was gone. They locked eyes and Wynn gave her a sharp nod before hurtling after the guards. Mara ran after her, tapping into her core along the way. The Healer had restored her Gift, and she was more than ready to test it out. Sparks danced along her forearms before pooling in her palms.

  They skidded to a halt thirty paces from the tunnel. The bodies of the Lingatian guards were scattered back the tunnel and continued out of sight. The nearest was a young woman who still clutched a curved horn in her hands.

  Wynn stared down at the woman, gripping the hilts of her dirks. Her form blurred, and Mara knew she was moments away from coming undone. Mara took a step toward her, but someone gripped her arm. She jerked away and looked over her shoulder. Ethan, Alex, and Tamil stood behind her. Mara’s eyes bugged out of her head and she hissed, “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be safe in the fortress!”

  “You need our help.” Ethan stepped forward and gripped her by the shoulders, lowering his face until their eyes were level. He pitched his voice low. “Alex and Tamil can fight, and I can help you find the disciples. They’re here, somewhere.”

  Her lips pressed together, and she looked away. “How?”

  He held up a hand and waggled his fingers. “Magi, remember? There must be witnesses.”

  They’d had too many close escapes. What if their luck had finally run out? She wanted nothing more than to order him back to the fortress where he’d be safe. Mara wet her lips and swallowed. “What if something happens to Tamil?”

  Or you, she added silently.

  Ethan smiled, and for a moment, Mara thought she’d said that last part out loud. “Tamil will be fine.” He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “And so will I. I’d like to finish what we started.”

  A shiver ran down Mara’s spine as he brushed his lips lightly against hers before pulling away. Her stomach flip-flopped as she watched him hurry toward the homes closest to the tunnel. Her desire to follow and protect him warred with her need to stay with Wynn.

  In the end, her worry was unfounded. After only a few minutes, Ethan rushed back and said, “They’re circling around the bathhouse.”

  “How many?” Wynn demanded.

  “Forty or fifty. I won’t know more unless we capture one.”

  Wynn nodded, then charged off in the direction of the bathhouse. Her guards shouted at her to wait for them but either she didn’t hear them, or she didn’t care. Her form shimmered before disappearing. She leapt from shadow to shadow into the heart of the city.

  Lungs burning, Mara chased after her. The buildings that Mara had admired during the day became potentially lethal traps in the dark. The disciples could be hiding anywhere. Wynn stopped abruptly and tilted her head. The rest of the group caught up, crowding around her. The bathhouse was vacant—no disciples in sight.

  A loud crash had them rushing back moments later. The side of a shop had been blown away leaving rubble strewn across the street.

  “Where are they?” Wynn gritted her teeth. She screamed, “Show yourselves, cowards!”

  Mara took a step back and stumbled on something. She threw her arms out to catch her balance before falling on her bottom. Alex offered her a hand up. He frowned, and Mara twisted around to see what she’d tripped over. She froze.

  “What is this place?” He let out a low whistle and examined the obsidian pit with interest.

  “It’s where they perform executions,” she spat out. Alex pushed Ethan behind him as Mara shouted, “Wynn, behind you!”

  Wynn pivoted just in time to watch the disciples creep around the surrounding buildings, pinning her group to the pit. The estimate of forty to fifty disciples was wrong—there were closer to one hundred.

  Ethan brushed his fingers across her wrist and his eyes rolled back in his head. “Shield.”

  Without hesitation, Mara cast a shield around the group—just in time, as two dozen fireballs struck, then ricocheted back. She winced as they flew toward the hive and smashed into the homes, catching the curtained ‘doors’ on fire.

  Snarling, Wynn vanished and reappeared behind a disciple whose arm was raised, a chunk of rock hovering above his hand. She plunged her dirk into his armpit and the rock dropped to the ground. Three disciples rushed her, glowing weapons clutched in their grasps. Mara dropped her shield and latched onto their energy threads, draining them until they stopped moving.

  “Duck,” Ethan said. Mara dropped to her knees as a glowing arrow passed over her head and struck the wall behind her.

  Mara threw the shield back up as the disciples tightened their circle, herding them toward the pit. Tamil and Alex were fighting in tandem—Tamil casting out droplets of poison to incapacitate the disciples while Alex rushed in to finish them off. The disciples tightened their circle, forcing them against the wall of the pit.

  A disciple crouched, his face scrunched, and his arms outstretched. The air around them heated as a river of lava snaked its way from the pit and hovered above them. The disciple dropped his arms with a jerky movement. Mara reinforced their protection just before the lava splashed against the shield. Conner reached toward it. The lava steamed and hissed as it cooled into solid rock.

  Panting, Wynn appeared next to Mara. “How much longer can ya hold up?”

  She could feel the strain beginning to take hold. A chunk of rubble bounced off her shield and a wave of dizziness coursed through her. She shook her head. “Not much.”

  Wynn darted forward to block a blow that would have impaled Astrid. “Bleeding inconvenient time to not have yer Augeo.”

  Alex ducked under a stream of water and said, “We’re too exposed here. We’ll have a better shot if we can make it back to the fortress.”

  “The tunnel would be easier to defend,” said one of the guards.

  Wynn growled, “And abandon the Aonach Neart?”

  “They aren’t defenseless,” the other guard said.

  Ethan offered her a sympathetic look. “We can’t help them if we’re dead.”

  “Fine.” She spun on her heel and charged out from the safety of the shield. Her guards hurried after her, dodging attacks.

  A swarm of disciples cut off their retreat.

  The Lingatians bunched in a tight circle as they fended off the attack.

  “We need an opening!” Mara screamed as her shield flickered. She reached out and drained another disciple, channeling his energy into the shield. Sweat dripped into her eyes, blurring her vision.

  “On it,” Astrid said. “Watch my back.” She sheathed her sword and closed her eyes.

  At first, Mara couldn’t tell what she was doing. Then she heard a bone-chilling roar that reverberated through the crater. The ground rumbled beneath her feet as a monstrous beast galloped into the fray on all fours. It looked like a bear, but far larger than normal, with shaggy russet fur and a blocky head. Its claws were as long as Mara’s hands, and its fangs gleamed in the moonlight. Mara gasped.

  Astrid threw her arms around the bear’s neck and kissed him on his furry head. “Who’s a good boy?”

  “Your familiar, I assume?” Ethan asked, wide-eyed, from where he was plastered against the wall.

  “Yep! His name’s Teeny.” She squeezed his cheeks and rubbed her nose against his leathery black one. “Who’s ready to kill some disciples? You are!” Brutum could communicate telepathically with their animals, so Mara assumed she said it aloud for their benefit. The bear snuffled her hair once, then loped off to join the fight. Astrid turned to Mara with a broad smile. “He’s just a big softy.”

  Somehow, Mara doubted that as Teeny barreled into a line of disciples,
sending two of them flying with a blow from his paw. The bear grabbed a third in its gaping maw and crunched. Gruesome as it was, it was effective. The bear had blown a hole in the disciples’ ranks, giving them the opportunity to maneuver away from the pit.

  “To me!” Wynn shouted, raising a fist above her head. “Fall back to the fortress!”

  Her guards moved to surround her while her Gifted flanked her, fighting off attacks from the side. Mara, Ethan, Alex, and Tamil brought up the rear, leaving Astrid and her familiar to distract the disciples.

  They had just passed the first building when a familiar voice called out, “Leaving so soon?”

  Wynn skidded to a stop and turned slowly.

  Tova leaned against the wall of the pit, her arms crossed over her chest. The same three disciples from Briarwood stood at her side. She tilted her chin up and smirked. “Our last reunion was cut short. I’d hate for that to happen again.”

  Mara stepped in front of Wynn. “She’s just baiting you.”

  “Don’t care.”

  “We need to get back to the fortress.” Mara latched onto Wynn’s arm—as if that could stop her.

  “Ya need to get yer hand off me. Now.” Wynn yanked her arm away. She whirled around, teeth-bared. “I swore if I ever saw her again, I’d kill her. Don’t steal this from me.”

  She recoiled at the hatred dripping from Wynn’s tongue.

  Wynn stalked toward Tova.

  All but the disciples guarding Tova melted away and rearranged themselves in a semicircle. They might as well have stood back and shouted, “It’s a trap,” but Wynn obviously didn’t care. The pale moonlight glinted off her dirks.

  Was she really going to attack?

  Mara spun and clutched Ethan’s sleeve. “Run and get help.”

  To his credit, he didn’t argue. He dipped his head once before running toward the hive.

  The Lingatians hung back as their Warlord approached the enemy. Some shifted their weight from foot to foot while others exchanged confused glances as if they weren’t sure what to do.

  No matter how powerful Wynn’s Gift was, if she went in alone, they would overwhelm her.

  She couldn’t let that happen.

  Mara shot a look toward the tunnel and cursed Wynn’s spontaneous change of plans before she launched after her. The rhythmic thudding of boots on volcanic rock told her the others were close behind.

  The disciples hurried to close the circle around Wynn. Mara reached her hands to the side and called on her Gift. Energy flowed into her palms and she shot it toward the nearest disciples. Astrid whistled and Teeny joined the fray, pummeling a disciple as if he were a mouse.

  Through the gap, Mara caught a glimpse of Wynn, three disciples laying at her feet. With nowhere to go, Tova scrambled backward up the stairs, hands held up before her.

  “I’ve dreamed of this moment since ya betrayed us.”

  “You don’t understand,” Tova said. “I—”

  “What’s there to understand?” Wynn prowled up the stairs after her. “I took ya in. Gave ya my protection. And ya stabbed me in the back.”

  Mara rushed forward, dodging a spear. A disciple ran at Wynn, but her eyes were locked on Tova. Before the disciple could strike, Mara reached out and grasped his energy thread. Alex darted in and finished him with a quick blow. Tamil stood at his side, palms outstretched.

  Alex tilted his head toward the stairs. “Go. We have this.”

  She didn’t need to be told twice. With a nod of thanks, Mara flew after Wynn. To do what? She wasn’t sure. She peeked her head over the edge of the platform. Wynn stood at the top, blocking Tova’s escape. Over the noise of battle, Mara heard Tova pleading.

  “I had orders. If I hadn’t played along, he would have killed me. You have to believe me.”

  Wynn jabbed a dirk toward the girl. “Lies!”

  Mara glanced back at the fight in time to see Ethan slip around a building and crouch behind a stack of barrels. Gifted from the hive crept out of the shadows and, with a splitting cry, they hurried to join the battle. The Lingatians fought like rabid beasts.

  Fire burned. Rocks crumbled. Steel clashed.

  With each attack disciples dwindled in number until there were only a dozen left.

  Tova cast a desperate look on the fight and her face crumpled. She wouldn’t be getting any help from the disciples. A single tear ran down her cheek. “Please. You don’t have to do this.”

  “Ya wanna know the worst part?” Wynn stepped closer. “I loved ya like ya was my own blood.”

  “We could have that again. You and me,” Tova said, her left foot precariously close to the edge. She glanced behind her and paled. “We’ll run away together.”

  Wynn froze. “Ya mean it?”

  “I do.” Emboldened, Tova stepped forward with a tentative smile. She held out her hand. “It’ll just be the two of us again.”

  “Swear it.”

  “I swear.” Tova closed her eyes and her shoulders sagged. Wynn crossed the distance and clasped her hand. “You have my promise.”

  “That’s just the problem,” Wynn said, her voice a throaty growl. “Yer promises are worthless.”

  Tova’s eyes flew open and her face went slack as Wynn released her hand and gave her a shove backward into the pit.

  ***

  Mead and ale flowed freely in the mess hall as the Myriel clan celebrated their victory. Mara walked the perimeter of the room, smiling softly as she watched the Gifted bonding. Several tables had been shoved together to create a stage in the center of the room. Conner tapped his way across the surface, a pint in each hand, as he belted out a tune so bawdy it made Mara grateful she’d tucked Tamil back in bed before joining the celebration.

  That, and the fact that five Gifted had hung a poorly-drawn image of the Rei on the far wall and were taking turns throwing knives and spears at it. Somehow, she didn’t imagine that Tamil would appreciate the gesture.

  Mara stopped by a table filled with cups, kegs, and bottles. As she was searching for water, two men sauntered by the table, each grabbing a cup and filling it to the brim. One paused and sized her up in a way that made her blush. He leaned over and said something to his companion in Lingatian which made the other man laugh and slap the table. Their laughter echoed in the room as they walked away. Mara shook her head. It wasn’t the first time the Lingatians had taken advantage of the language barrier to mock her.

  She sighed and surveyed the room. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves except for one person—Ethan. He sat, shoulders hunched, at a table in the corner. His eyes were bloodshot as he turned a cup slowly in his hands.

  Her heart clenched painfully, and her eyes closed as the sound of Tova’s final scream echoed in her head. After Wynn had pushed the girl into the pit, she’d ordered Conner to close it off permanently. Then she’d brushed past Mara without a word and went straight back to the fortress. For all her talk of betrayal and revenge, it was obvious that it had affected her. And Wynn had only known Tova for two years.

  Ethan had known Tova her whole life.

  His look of horror at watching his sister die would forever be burned in Mara’s memory.

  Mara slid onto the bench next to him. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “There’s nothing to talk about.” He didn’t look up.

  She reached out to take his hand and gave it a squeeze. “Are you okay?”

  “Why wouldn’t I be?” He stared down at their intertwined hands without emotion. “Wynn struck a solid blow against the Order tonight.”

  “Ethan,” Mara swallowed the lump in her throat, “you don’t have to pretend with me. I want to help you.”

  “Who says I’m pretending? Tova was a horrible person and the world is a better place without her.”

  “She was your sister.”

  “In blood only.” Mara opened her mouth to say something, but Ethan cut her off. “That’s the truth, isn’t it? She was more like him than I ever was. Why do I feel so conflicted?
I should be rejoicing that we have one fewer enemy to deal with, shouldn’t I?”

  “Maybe. Maybe not. Your feelings make you human. It’s okay to feel sad. You’re mourning the loss of what could have been if you had been raised in a normal family.”

  He let out a bitter laugh. “Is there such a thing?”

  Her brows furrowed at his response. “I’d like to think so.”

  “Well, if there is, I’ve never experienced it. It seems backwards to say it, but you were lucky growing up. At least your parents loved you for you instead of seeing you as potential profit. Cadmus is so dark and twisted, I’m not sure if he’s capable of love. But what he had with Tovaline . . .” His eyes darkened. “I think that’s the closest he’s ever come to loving another person. He adored her the most out of anyone. Cadmus would have sacrificed a thousand disciples to keep her safe, no matter what he said. Wynn had better watch her back.”

  “What do you mean?” Mara followed his gaze to where Wynn was sitting next to Astrid. The Brutum kept the Warlord’s cup flowing.

  “If you thought things were bad before, they will be nothing compared to his wrath now.”

  She suppressed a shiver. “He won’t try again here.”

  “Who knows?” Ethan lifted a shoulder and dropped it as if it were too much effort to do anything more. “He’s proven that he can infiltrate the most defensible place on the continent. Is it so much of a stretch to think he might do it again?”

  “Just because he can doesn’t mean he will. He’s powerful, not stupid.”

  “Emotion can make even the hardest man do rash things.”

  “I thought you said he couldn’t feel emotion.”

  “No, I said he couldn’t feel love—there’s a difference. But you’re right,” he conceded. “Any move he makes will be carefully calculated. At any rate, I don’t think he will. Not yet at least.”

  “Tomar?” Mara guessed.

  Ethan nodded. “It wouldn’t make sense to mobilize a large force against us when the Rei is riding to Orgate.”

  “Have there been reports?”

  “Scattered. He might be here tomorrow or a month from now. It depends how eager he is to conquer the rest of Lingate before snow makes travel impossible.”