by Jamie Davis
“Is Maria safe?”
“Yes, she’s outside the wall now, scouting for more of those … things. She should be back soon, after she’s swept the perimeter.”
“Good.” Winnie shivered. “What were they? Has anyone ever heard of anything like them before?”
Danny shrugged. Tris, too.
“I think they’re what the Europeans called Garbarians,” Elaine said. “I used to do a lot of reading about the fall when I was younger. Some rumors suggest that these “demons” are actually the remnants of people who had been turned into monsters by way of dark magic. I always thought they were myths told by scared people watching life as they knew it come to an end. Guess I was wrong.”
“Garbarians,” Winnie said, tasting the word. “And dark magic creates them?”
“According to the stories.”
“I think we all know where the dark magic came from,” Winnie said.
“Kane’s getting desperate,” Tris said. “He’s holed up in the capital while we have the freedom to move around at will.”
Winnie nodded. “And now he knows where we are.”
“Should we consider moving again?” Danny asked, clearly hating the idea.
“Where would we go?” Cricket asked. “ As the chief quartermaster in charge of supplies, moving anywhere isn’t going to be easy.”
“We stay here.” Winnie scanned the wall and surrounding woodlands. “This place was chosen because we could defend it against Kane. So now we need to create a stronger magical defense against whatever else might be coming.”
Tris said, “We don’t know what abilities Kane has, or what kind of creatures he can create. What if he has something that can burrow underground and come up in the basement without us knowing it. How could we possibly defend ourselves?”
“So we raise our defenses here, and then we take the fight to him.” Winnie gauged the shock all around her. Only Garraldi was nodding.
Victor spoke. “Kane is building a fortress in the capital. What makes you think we can possibly take the fight there and win?”
“What choice do we have?” Winnie said. “Look around; Tris is right. Whatever we do, Kane will eventually find a way around it. Fighting the war is the only way that we’re ever going to win it.”
“It’s suicide,” Cricket said.
“So is staying here,” Garraldi said. “Taking the fight to Kane in the capital will cost us, but it will cost us more to stay here waiting for him to smoke us out.”
Garraldi paused. Winnie kept going.
“Sure, Kane has a few new tricks. But so do we. He doesn’t know that we can communicate over long distances, or that we can make portals. Just wait until we make a doorway right into his inner sanctum.”
“But you can’t open a window to somewhere you’ve never been,” Morgan said. “I don’t pretend to know how magic works but I’ve been trying to follow the rules as you’ve explained them.”
“You’re right, for now,” Winnie said. “But between myself and the twins we’ve already come up with some amazing maneuvers for our strongest chanters. I haven’t spoken to the new arrivals yet but can imagine that they have plenty to offer and at least a few surprises. Something amazing is happening with magic right now. With the Fae’s return, long forgotten abilities are coming back, too. Mom’s done an excellent job training the twins. No reason she can’t keep doing that for anyone else that we find.”
“I’ll see what I can find out,” Elaine said. “It might make sense for you to come and help, Winnie. Your abilities seem to magnify when you’re around them. We’ve seen it happen several times. It’s like putting two batteries together for a stronger current. So—”
“What if we could somehow combine our powers,” Winnie interrupted. “Magnify what we can do by working together?”
Tris perked up. “That isn’t all that different from what the techs do when working on repairing a major flaw. I never thought about applying it to something like our defenses here, or an offensive spell. It might work.”
“So, what’s the plan, Winnie?” Victor said. “Give us our orders and we’ll all start marching.”
Winnie surveyed the grounds then looked back at her friends.
“We stay. Strengthen the defenses as best we can. And plan for a strike at Kane, make him and everyone standing with him sorry that they ever heard the word chanter.”
CHAPTER 24
Flames were already licking the bunker walls, but Kane threw another ball of fire at the concrete barrier in front of him, anyway.
The Garbarian alpha cringed in fear, whining at his master.
“Don’t whimper at me,” Kane shouted at the creature. “You and your brethren failed me. How could dozens of you fail to bring that bitch down?”
The Garbarian ducked its head several times, its whining more pathetic. Though created from humans, the transformation stripped the creature’s ability to speak. It could only cower in the face of Kane’s power.
General Couch watched the display from a safe distance across the room. The Director’s ability to create the Garbarians using normal humans was an alarming discovery. These creatures were the enemy of humanity, not the allies that Kane believed them to be.
But it was an elegant way to deal with former adversaries. Kane had used his most vociferous opponents in the disbanded Assembly, at least those he’d been able to capture before their escape from the capital, to create the first group of Garbarians. Now, most of that first pack was presumably dead at the hands of Durham and her rebel forces.
Kane turned his gaze on Couch. The General didn’t flinch, but he did straighten to attention. It was as if Kane had almost forgotten he was there. But now that the cowering pack leader was simpering at his feet, the Director’s tirade had ended, or was at least about to be aimed in a different direction.
“And you, General,” Kane said. “Why didn’t you warn me that Durham’s forces might be strong enough to ward off the initial attack?”
Couch had to proceed carefully. Kane wasn’t thinking clearly, searching for someone to blame for his failure.
“No plan survives contact with the enemy, Director. I might have counseled you differently after I got the report regarding Durham’s raid and capture of three chanters hiding in the Baltimore Enclave. She almost single-handedly overcame a six-man Red Leg patrol, rescued the prisoners, then vanished from the scene. She’s not just more powerful, Durham is more flexible from an operational perspective.”
“Why wasn’t this brought to my attention? I could have waited.” He pointed an accusing finger at Couch. “You should have told me!”
“Sir, you had already dispatched the Garbarians with their orders to track and kill Durham before her raid in Baltimore happened. I was only briefed this morning, and am now telling you.”
Kane seemed to ponder this explanation, but his accusing finger never left couch. The General wondered if he was about to be incinerated in a fit of rage. His tensed muscles relaxed when Kane lowered his hand, then clasped it with the other behind his back and started to pace.
“I must send a larger Garbarian force. We should send everything we have. Her forces can’t be that large or organized. They’re refugees. Petty criminals. Inconsequential.”
“I think it would be a mistake to underestimate her abilities or the capabilities of her allies. She’s surprised you on more than one occasion. If I might offer an alternative solution, sir: consolidate your power base in the cities we already control and start a coordinated campaign against her. Turning public support against Durham will only box her in.”
“We don’t have time for that, General,” Kane snapped. “Every day she remains alive and in possession of my family’s greatest treasure, we run the risk that she’ll discover what is possible with that sword.”
“And what of the sword, sir? You’ve told me it’s a talisman of great power but not what it can do.”
“Nothing you need to worry about right now,” Kane said.
&nbs
p; “Very well, sir … but knowing the full capabilities of your adversary is invaluable when designing our defenses and preparing for future attacks.”
“We have spent too much time creating defenses, General. It is time we attack Durham and her ridiculous rebel army with everything we have. They must all be killed, every one. I must demonstrate to the world what awaits anyone who defies me.”
“With all due respect, that is a dangerous course of action.”
“And why is that, General? Is it because you and your forces are afraid to face a little magic?”
“Not at all, Director,” Couch replied. “It’s risky because the nation is watching, both the cities you control and those you don’t. Everyone knows the allegations against you. And they already have reason to think you plan on killing chanters to garner more power for yourself. Offering the rebels some sort of terms in exchange for their peaceful disbandment is — I feel — a much better course.
“You want us to make some sort of deal? Are you a coward, General?”
“No, sir. I am, however, very aware of how much this stalemate has stretched my forces. Any new attack against Durham’s base of operations requires me to call in our reserves and leave the city dangerously undermanned.”
Couch kept his eyes on Kane. The man seemed more unstable than ever. There was a change in him. He used to be a cold, calculating leader willing to make and execute the most careful of plans. But in the past week, he’d become increasingly erratic. And ever since his dalliance with the Garbarians, Kane’s behavior had become even more volatile. The General expected an explosive, violent response to his rationale for not attacking.
“I don’t think you fully appreciate what is at stake here.” Kane voice was softer, almost instructional in its tone. “This is a battle for the very future of mankind. The world is dying, General. Magic is draining the planet’s natural energy. Rings of devastation surrounding our city centers are only growing wider. The magic required to maintain our great public works is leeching life from the land.”
Kane turned and crossed to the wall map of the eastern seaboard and pointed to their spot in the capital.
“I’ve found a source of power stronger than that magic. But, in order to wield it—and save us all—I must control the world’s remaining magic. The clock is ticking for the end of the world, Philip. We don’t have the luxury of waiting until it’s convenient to strike. We must pull every last soldier, Red Leg, and our other, unconventional resources … ” Kane waved a hand at the still cowering Garbarian alpha “and take the fight to them.”
“I will do as you ask, sir,” the General said. “It is my duty to inform you of my recommendations and our available options. You, as always, have final say.”
Kane smiled and clasped his hands together behind his back again.
His smile was so … unnerving.
Something behind his eyes terrified the General, despite the countless horrors he’d seen.
“Very well, General. You have your orders,” Kane said, finally breaking his gaze. “Gather your troops and prepare to attack. I will supplement your forces.”
The General shivered, and hoped it wasn’t obvious to Kane.
He was used to taking orders, but this was something else.
His men wouldn’t even know what to make of the Garbarians. And how could he possibly explain them?
“I’ll have a plan of action and a list of the available forces by this time tomorrow,” Couch promised. “We can launch an assault within the week.”
“Perfect,” Kane said. “That gives us both time to prepare.”
The General saluted then turned to leave.
He stared at the Garbarian crouched low on the concrete floor on his way out, wondering what other nightmares Kane might summon.
CHAPTER 25
Winnie spent several days after the Garbarian attack working with her mother, the twins, Kripke, and the three chanters she’d freed from the Red Legs in Baltimore. The rescued chanters included a married couple, Frannie and Parnell Steele, and a strange hulking silent man who said his name was Bullock.
With the whole group seated in a circle, the three new recruits were shown some magic that they’d never seen before. Kripke demonstrated his ability to mask himself against detection.
Frannie poked her husband with an elbow, wide-eyed as the boy disappeared. “That trick would have come in handy,” she said. “The Red Legs would never have found us.”
“We did fine,” Parnell said. “We just got caught off guard by the patrol while trading for food with Bullock.”
“Don’t blame him,” Frannie said. “They were bound to catch us eventually.”
“I’m glad I was there,” Winnie chimed in. “I swear, your magic was calling me.”
“We’d love to show you we’re grateful,” Parnell said. “Tell us how we can help.”
“I want to learn how the three of you avoided getting picked up for so long,” Winnie said.
“It’s a trick my mother taught me,” Frannie said. It seemed as though she was forcing herself not to look away. “She had a lot of male friends over while I was growing up. She showed me how to create a hard, circular shell around me. Just in case anyone decided that their girlfriend’s teenaged daughter was fair game.”
“I’m sorry,” Winnie said, putting a hand on Frannie’s shoulder. “That sounds awful. But how did you use that to keep the Red Legs from finding you?”
“I taught the trick to Parnell a while ago. He figured out how to expand the exterior, turn it opaque.”
“I also discovered that I could disguise the shell’s exterior,” Parnell added. “Make it look like anything I wanted. Camouflage. So when the Red Legs came to clear out the Enclave, Frannie and I were walking the street near our building. We tried to get back but were cut off, so we ran to a nearby park. She made the bubble around us, and I made it look like stone.”
“So,” Winnie said, “the Red Legs just saw a giant rock in the park?”
“We spent that first day as landscaping,” Parnell was clearly proud. “And we’ve practically lived in the trick ever since. Once, they chased us into a building. We hid at the end of a hallway that looked like a wall. Took a good two hours with us barely able to breathe before the Red Legs finally moved on.
Winnie turned to Bullock. The big man had light brown skin and full sleeves of colorful tattoos with intricate designs and unfamiliar symbols. “What about you?”
The big man said nothing, just shook his head and stared at the floor.
“Bullock doesn’t talk much,” Frannie said. “He’s been a friend of ours forever. He’s always been like that.”
“How did he escape the sweeps?” Winnie asked. “Do you know?”
Frannie nodded, looked at her friend. “What do you say Bullock? Can I tell her? She’s our friend, too, now.”
Bullock nodded, never moving his eyes from the floor.
“Bullock’s always been teased about being so quiet,” Frannie explained. “He got bullied a lot when we were growing up. One day a bully tried to shove him, and Bullock just disappeared. He wasn’t invisible like Kripke, he was gone. So that became the way he coped. I asked him where he went. He said, ‘To a quiet place where no one can hurt me.’ He was usually gone for hours.”
“Do you know where you go?” Winnie asked.
The big man shook his head. “Somewhere safe.”
“Can you show me?” Winnie asked. “Maybe I can figure it out.”
Bullock seemed to consider. Winnie gave him time. After a minute or so, he finally nodded.
Winnie watched him draw in the energy around him.
She felt almost bowled over by Bullock’s brute force magic. It was as if his giant size and muscles reflected his magical strength.
He pulled in what felt like several chanters’ shares of magic, then pushed outward with a series of flows, twisting themselves in to some sort of portal, not all that different from the one she and a few others had drawn already.
Bullock’s window was irregularly shaped and rimmed in a pulsing blue outline. He sort of leaned forward as the portal drifted towards him.
And then he was gone.
The portal appeared again a few moments later, Bullock leaning backward in his chair, the blue-lined window now closed.
Fiona clapped and laughed. Jacob leaned over and whispered something in her ear. She nodded and clapped louder. “Jacob says he wished he’d thought of that. Making a wrinkle in the world and hiding inside it would be fun.”
“Making a wrinkle?” Winnie repeated. “What does that mean?”
“Bullock takes the world, stretches it, and then he folds it,” Fiona explained. “The fold is outside of the world, so that means he can hide inside it. No one in this world would even know he’s there, unless they made a wrinkle in the same spot.”
“It’s a momentary opening in the world’s reality,” said Elaine. “I suspect this is how the Fae are able to drift between our worlds. Bullock doesn’t open a hole, so much as he hides between worlds. Am I right?”
Bullock nodded, his eyes still on the ground.
Winnie leaned forward and patted him on the knee.
“Thank you for sharing that. You are amazing.” She turned to the group. “Thank you all for sharing and showing me about what you can do. It’s an important part of why you’re all here. I think we can teach others to harness magic like we do. And more importantly, I think we can defend ourselves here as we prepare for our assault on Kane’s stronghold.”
“Do you really think we can fight him directly?” Frannie asked. “He has all the soldiers and Red Legs working for him. And now he has those monsters!”
“It won’t be easy, but we can’t let him capture us either,” Winnie said. “He’ll kill us all eventually. Our best chance of defeating him is to find a way to harmonize our talents in a way that keeps his army at bay.”
She paused to let it sink in.
This next part was where things got interesting.
Winnie wanted them to help her come up with ideas based on what they had all just seen. But Elaine spoke before the brainstorming could start.