“What is it, mistress?” the lad wondered.
She silenced a sigh. “It’s nothing. There’s just something I’ve been meaning to give you for some time. We can talk about it there.”
The prince didn’t press further, helping his mentor to a comfortable position. Together, they left the warehouse behind.
*****
The door slammed shut behind them, and Marin drew in a sharp, painful breath.
“Are you sure you don’t have a healing potion anywhere?” her protégé asked.
“Nearly certain,” she said as she proceeded deeper into the house. “I’ll be fine. Go and gather your arrows from the other room. And grab another quiver while you’re at it—the one with the flap. I’ll hold onto it while you’re expending the first one.”
“Where are you going?” Kelvin asked.
“To gather up something for you,” Marin replied. “And something for myself; something I’ve been avoiding for too long.”
The prince let those cryptic words roll off him as he proceeded into that back room. There, the familiar trunk waited for him. When he opened it, he saw the familiar shade of green and grinned.
As he reached into that chest to gather up his belongings, he heard the creaking of the beams above him and arched an eyebrow. The prince kept to his task, though, retrieving his emerald garb and several quivers filled with arrows. He set to work switching out of the red outfit, not worrying in the slightest whether his mentor would venture into that room while he was wearing next to nothing.
Both vigilantes finished their objectives at the same time, with Marin arriving as Kelvin cinched one of those quivers over his shoulder. Seeing him in that color again left her with a smile on her face.
That wasn’t the only difference the pair noticed, however. The prince’s attention drew to her hip, where her sword had been seen since he had trained with her. Gone was the rapier with the leather-wrapped hilt and silver basket. Instead, a gorgeous white handle was accentuated by a spiral of gold. The lad couldn’t take his eyes off that impressive sword.
“As you know, I have not always been the Silver Serpent,” Marin offered when she noticed his stare. “The title has been passed down for decades—centuries even. The mantle changes somewhat: a man cannot wear the outfit as I do, and I would have looked foolish in the garb of the last Silver Serpent,” she said with a forced chuckle accentuating that idea.
“But it’s the sword that is truly important,” Marin went on. “This sword has been around as long as the name.”
“I’ve never seen you use it,” Kelvin said.
She nodded. “I’ve struggled with finding the right time to wield it. For as much as it has been a part of the Silver Serpent legacy, it also belonged to my husband. Lasho died using this sword, and I feel as though a part of him remains. We try to protect the people we care about, and I couldn’t bear to have anything happen to this final reminder of Mister Cortes.
“That’s the same reason I trained you as an archer, first and foremost,” she revealed. “With a bow, you can be farther from danger, and I can take the brunt of any attacks. But after tonight, I can see your swordsmanship is necessary as well. It would be foolish to limit you. There’s something I think you should have.”
Marin stepped aside, reaching into the other room. When she arrived before her pupil again, she had that familiar sword in her hands. “This blade has served me well for years. My hope is it serves you even better.”
A wave of emotions washed over the lad. His chest puffed out as he considered the significance of such an offer, but the next moment he was deflated. “I’m not worthy of such a thing,” he said. “As you said, my training has been with the bow. A good sword needs a good fighter to wield it.”
“And I have no doubt you’ll grow to become one. If nothing else, you should let the sword protect you. Tonight, when you ran out of ammunition, we were lucky you were able to pick up this sword. To me, you’re already worthy of using it. I can think of no one else on this whole island I’d rather trust that rapier to.”
He stood unmoving, his breath stolen by the honor of her words. Marin offered up a grin and stepped forward, wrapping the lad in an embrace. Kelvin couldn’t find the energy to return that gesture, and soon after, he found his mentor before him once more, holding the rapier before him.
“Take it,” she said. “It’s yours.”
The prince swallowed away the tension in his throat and accepted the gift. Tears were on the rims of his eyes, the same as hers.
“There’s something more I need to talk to you about,” she said.
Kelvin shook his head. “I thought you were wrong for what you did at sea. It felt like everything we stood against, and to see you urge that man to take his own life just…” He took in a deep breath and steadied himself. “You were right, though. That man spun everything out of control in Argos, and now we’re dealing with something that could wipe out the city. I’m sorry I judged you so harshly.”
“No, you were right to be upset by my actions,” Marin countered. “That wasn’t the way I taught you. If nothing else, you deserved to know it was going to happen. But we needed to ensure his silence. If anyone else found out about the Arcanax Compendium, terrible things could happen. I’m sorry for what had to happen, and even sorrier you had to see that side of me.
“That wasn’t what I wanted to talk to you about, though,” she went on. “If this plan of ours is to work, there is something you should know. The Arcanax Compendium is a powerful artifact, as you know. We’ve never seen it used before Jerrod used it to unleash all this mayhem on our city. But the rumors were always that it did not give powers; it was said to take them away. And some of them even said those affected by the device lost their very lives. This was how the lost Kalistrazi—those who became overwhelmed by the vastness of their power—were sealed away.
“You can’t be anywhere near the book when we activate it,” Marin urged. “If you are, I’m almost certain you’ll lose your gift. And I can’t promise you won’t be killed in the process either.”
“But what about you?” Kelvin asked. “What about Thoro?”
The Silver Serpent smiled. “Neither of us are the prince of this city. And he and I have both done things that have tarnished our souls in some way. By contrast, you’re as pure as the snows of the northlands across the sea. And if we’re lucky, the rumors were only half-true. Perhaps we’ll be safe.
“You’ll want to look after Rowan as well,” she said. “The Watcher has proved himself a valuable ally. We look after those who we can depend on.”
Kelvin arched an eyebrow, and the gesture was not lost to his mentor.
“What is it?” Marin asked.
“I think I know another ally we can depend on for the mission ahead.”
*****
The lantern light that flickered along the wall gave him some solace, but he couldn’t dismiss his misgivings. An uncomfortable silence remained in the place, and he hadn’t seen a guard since his arrival.
Though the prince had never seen the inside of the prison, he was certain he could navigate whatever troubles he might encounter while he was there. He couldn’t have foretold he was the only one who would walk those corridors. Somehow, that filled his search with even more anxiety.
Kelvin proceeded through the place without a torch. If there was some danger ahead, he wouldn’t announce his presence with a beacon to identify where he was. Still, as he heard quiet voices ahead, he couldn’t hide his intrigue and his apprehension. He skulked, low and against the wall, until he glanced in at that adjoining chamber from the shadows.
He had reached a row of cells. The prince knew right away, however, it wasn’t a typical prisoner behind those bars. That person couldn’t see him, as he remained enveloped in darkness. Kelvin had the means to identify that fellow, though, and as he noticed the emblem of Argos upon his armor, a scowl made its way to the lad’s face. He cast off the shroud of anxiety and approached without hesitation.
“Who did this to you?” the prince asked. He looked down the length of the corridor, though, and ensured nobody remained outside the cells. No one was there, but each of those cells had been filled by one of the guards who were meant to ensure Argos remained safe from the kind of filth he was attempting to stop that night.
“We were surprised by a group of people a few hours ago,” the closest imprisoned jailor told him. “We had mostly members of the Brotherhood in here, and they were all released when we were forced in here.”
Kelvin growled as he considered his rotten luck. He took a deep breath, though, and remembered why he was there. “What happened to Marcus Pachelle? Is he still here?”
The guard nodded, easing the lad in green’s fears. “They tried to take him a few nights ago, but he wouldn’t go with them. I think they left him alone entirely tonight.”
“Where is he?” He noted the guard’s hesitation and placed his hands on the bars to settle him. “I’m the one that brought him here. Now I’m getting him out.”
“Lots of luck to you, friend,” the guard said. Kelvin noted the smack of sarcasm but ignored it, dismissing the fellow and resuming his search. “Bastards from the Brotherhood took the keys!” the jailor shouted as the disguised prince disappeared into those shadows once more.
If Marcus is still here, Kelvin thought, we won’t need keys.
Without directions to help him find the Titan, his search stretched on longer than he would have liked. Finally, he drew into a large chamber that had a golden glow. None of the torches there had been blown out, and a solitary man remained, sitting upon a cot in the central cell.
“Marcus,” the lad in green said as he drew near.
The Titan rose from his seat and placed the book he was reading down upon the impression he had left. He arched an eyebrow as he approached the bars and grinned when he understood who had visited him.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I’ve come to get you out,” Kelvin insisted.
“I don’t see keys on you,” Marcus replied. “It feels as though you’re trying to use me for something a little less than legal, strictly speaking. Besides, breaking me out of here would just make me look like more of a criminal than I am. I did some things I’m not proud of—you were the one who helped me realize that. I’m trying to do better in here.”
“I need you to do better out here,” the prince said. “And I promise you, I can get you a royal pardon if you lend your aid to me.”
“You have friends in very high places, if you think the king will help me,” the man behind bars declared.
Kelvin let a weary smile show. “Don’t forget it was my suggestion Ralek be jailed for his crimes. How long did it take for word to reach your ears he was locked up in here?”
Marcus couldn’t dismiss the truth behind that claim. The foreman he held responsible for the deaths of his family members was no longer walking amongst the people of Argos. He would not endanger the lives of others anymore.
“A few days ago, some unscrupulous fellows tried to break me out of here. This wouldn’t have anything to do with that, would it?”
The prince sighed. “I suppose it would. Listen, this is all I know: the night you received your powers was but a small taste of what will happen to Argos tonight. Imagine everyone in the city being influenced by the Strain. Not just good-natured people, but degenerates, brigands, people with vendettas… Now think of all the people that will get hurt if we let that happen.”
Marcus was quiet for some time after that, his eyes tracing the bars of his cell until they reached the stone floor. “A royal pardon, eh?”
The lad in green beamed at the prospect of gaining another ally. “It’ll be dangerous.”
“I expect nothing less,” Marcus surmised. He took a deep breath and placed his arms on the bars in front of him. Without another moment of hesitation, he tugged on those long iron rods and ripped them from their places. He cast them down and turned, looking to the young man who had once delivered him to the place. “So what are we waiting for?”
Kelvin nodded. “If you’re not opposed to it, there are a few more cells you could help me open.”
*****
From atop that tower, he cast his gaze at the bluff the people of Argos called a lookout point. In the darkness of that early morning, though, he couldn’t see far or well enough to guess at what forces Jerrod had at his disposal.
His only solace came from knowing the rolling colors of the aurora couldn’t be seen in the sky. Whatever the Magician had planned, he hadn’t activated the Arcanax Compendium yet.
A loud thud resonated behind the man, and it took all his fortitude not to fling himself from the merlons of the tower. He expelled a breath and turned about, seeing his companion—in one piece, no less.
“I really wish you wouldn’t do that,” he said.
Rowan tilted his head as best as his stone neck would allow. He leapt down from his perch, and as he walked forth to meet Thoro at the other side of the battlement, he cast off his stone shroud. “I can’t exactly give you a warning,” he said. “We don’t want to bring any attention to ourselves.”
“How can you be so sure they didn’t already see you?”
The Watcher chortled. “I suspect if any of the Brotherhood had spotted me, I would have already been blasted from the sky—something I don’t intend to experience a second time.”
“You wouldn’t believe that anything happened to you before,” Thoro insisted. “The healing potion seems to have worked its magic.”
“In both forms,” Rowan agreed. “I feel as good as new.”
“There’s still more to learn about your transformation, it seems. Is your stone persona a shield or an extension of you? It seems as though healing one healed the other. But I suppose that’s a thought for another time. Did you find anything of note?”
Rowan nodded. “Aye, I did. Jerrod’s not at the bluff yet. And as best I can tell, neither’s the book.”
Thoro clicked his tongue. “Perhaps they changed their plans since I turned out to be among the living.”
“I don’t think so,” the man who had worked the tower they stood atop said. “Your former compatriot isn’t there yet, but there are a good number of men who I can only assume were your so-called brothers. The lookout point is rife with opposition.”
“Then he means to continue with his plan. Maybe we could cut him off.”
Again, the Watcher chortled. “No offense, my friend, but I would take my chances with the lad in green over you. At least he can wield a bow.”
“I appreciate the compliment,” both men atop the tower heard.
Thoro turned and furrowed his brow when he noticed Kelvin was alone. “Where’s your better half?”
The disguised prince sighed. “And thank you for bringing my ego back to a respectable level. I had my task, and she had hers. She’ll be here. But it’s just as Rowan said: the Brotherhood is already overwhelming that bluff.”
“You heard us?” the Watcher asked.
“You’re not being as stealthy as you think you are.” He stepped to the edge of that battlement and looked at the cliffs on the edge of the city. The golden rings flashed around his pupils, and he focused on the details of Jerrod’s staging ground. True to Rowan’s words, the lookout point was already overrun with members of Thoro’s former group. None of the important figures—Jerrod, Ciara, or Gerard—could be seen. The Arcanax Compendium was absent as well. The only thing worthy of note was a large wooden trunk at the center of a ring of stones atop that bluff. “It won’t be long before dawn. I didn’t think they would be so callous as to attempt something like this during the day.”
“It seems near, but it’s been a long night,” Rowan said. “Even from the sky, I didn’t see any trace of the sun. There’s still time for the Magician to try his hand at activating the relic.”
“And with just the four of us, we need all the time we can get,” Thoro said. “We should move now, bef
ore Jerrod gets here.”
Kelvin let a grin stretch his lips as he blinked away the gold from his eyes. “Who said there were only four of us?” he asked as he turned to his companions.
As Thoro and Rowan considered that revelation, they heard a ruckus below. It didn’t come from the bluff to the east, though. Rather, the sound resonated from the streets west of the tower, whence Kelvin had come.
“Friends of yours?” the Watcher asked.
The prince nodded. “I should hope so.” All three of the men atop that tower looked below, where a trio of carriages barreled through the streets. Once more, the rings of gold took shape in Kelvin’s eyes, and he arched his brows. “Those aren’t our carriages.”
With a snarl, Thoro made his way toward the stairwell at the center of the construction. “It’s more bastards from the Brotherhood.”
A flash of enlightenment reached the lad that remained there. “It’s the ones Gerard broke out.”
As he and Rowan hesitated on the tower, they noticed another carriage cut through an adjacent alleyway to the main street. The first two carriages driven by the Brotherhood recoiled away from the sudden arrival, but the third vehicle, lagging behind, couldn’t avoid it. A man atop the driver’s seat handed the reins to his companion and rose.
From his position, Kelvin recognized the burly fellow. “Now that’s the friend I was talking about.”
Though Rowan couldn’t make out any specific details of the strange man, he could see as Marcus leapt from his seat to collide into the Brotherhood’s rearmost carriage. With a ferocious punch, he tore through the wooden walls of the cabin.
“What is going on?” the Watcher asked his ally in green.
“We’re just getting some people back where they belong,” Kelvin explained. “Let’s get down there, quickly!”
“I’ll meet you there,” Rowan said, clicking his tongue.
Kelvin could only watch as his companion rose off the battlement and spread his arms out wide. Before he descended, his stone shroud materialized, encasing him completely. Those gray, bat-like wings appeared soon after, preventing his fall.
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