He sensed her drawing on his pool of magic, despite their separation and he bore witness to a wisp of black vapor emanating from Danella’s mouth right into the choking air maiden.
Unceremoniously, Danella dumped the choking woman the ground. The victim tried to stand, but Danella’s words froze her there.
“No, Penelope, I did not give you leave to rise.”
The woman remained prone and the tiny part of Majherri, which he could still call his own, recognized that Danella had acquired a bit more from the netherbeast’s heart than he’d imagined. Cyemma was also frozen, but he saw terror and panic in her eyes.
“My boots are dirty, but you may kiss them.”
Lancer Garrett leaned forward and did as she was instructed.
“Come here, Majherri. Penelope needs something from my saddle.”
He struggled to no avail and trotted to the two.
Danella unhooked her whip. “Rise, Penelope and take this.”
The air maiden did so with a blank expression on her face.
“Penelope, my unicorn still harbors the idea that he can free me from this and return me to the pitiful weakling I used to be. I need you to perform a demonstration for me. Show him that I am powerful enough to make another rider whip her own unicorn. Five lashes if you please.”
He pivoted, against his will, and stared as Penelope whipped Cyemma, each crying out as the pain was distributed across their bond. Garrett collapsed after the final blow and Danella made her crawl back to them and return the whip.
“Thank you, Lancer Garrett. You’ve helped me teach Majherri a valuable lesson today. Do not shirk your duties to our leader by staying there on the ground. Return to your post.”
Riding Majherri back into the depths of the city, Danella released her iron grip on his will, almost daring him to do something. He did not, fearing that she’d make Garrett kill Cyemma.
“Pity my control over her won’t last long, old boy,” Danella said, addressing him. “Still, I think we’ve come to an understanding. You can wish all you want to go back to the way things were, but I have no interest in that idiotic notion and I am now and forever the one in control. The sooner you accept this, the sooner you can get back into my good graces. Now, since we haven’t been here in a few years, let’s see if we can still find something to do for fun!”
Chapter 6- The Safety of Shiftla
Shiftla was a welcome sight to the weary members of the refugee caravan, but a troubling one just the same. There weren’t many people on the road to the city, traveling in either direction. Still, Kayleigh breathed a sigh of relief that they had arrived without any other incidents.
Kayleigh had walked next to Rheysurrah when the town first appeared on the horizon. At first she believed it to be nothing more than a speck, but it soon grew.
Despite the lack of activity, the city looked like a fortress and she felt better with each step.
She and Rheysurrah had spent the past two days avoiding the problems between them as much as the bond would allow. Often she dismounted and walked beside him since the caravan didn’t move terribly fast. During those periods of time, Kayleigh began to wonder whether she’d be able to cleanly break their bond and ensure the unicorn would live, but at other times she realized that only a handful of days together under intense circumstances was not something to judge a partnership on.
Rhey is better company than Captain Lynch, she mused. I put up with her for much longer.
She refused to entertain the idea that her bond with Rheysurrah might not improve once they escaped the region.
Tamera rode up from the back to relieve Kayleigh. She looked confused at finding her on foot. Tamera announced, “Laurel said that when we get closer to the city that we’ll all form up at the front.”
“Any idea how long we’re staying?”
Tamera shook her head and replied, “I just want a bath and a chance to sleep on a real bed tonight. After that, I don’t really care.”
Kayleigh offered a smile and said, “Here I thought earth maidens liked the dirt and sleeping under the stars.”
Tamera snorted and dismissed her comment, blowing a breath of air up through her bangs. “Dirt I don’t mind. Sand gets everywhere! I wouldn’t pass up a hot meal either. I brought a few coins with me, but don’t know how long I can make them last.”
All the girls had some money with them. Kayleigh’s coin purse had all of her money because she’d never planned on returning to The Academy. It wasn’t much, but it was considerably more than the others. It was a lucky thing too; otherwise she might have carried her coin purse with her when Majherri went missing and it would have been taken when Kayleigh was captured. Instead, when she and Lieutenant Townsend left to search for her unicorn, she gave it to Laurel to hold.
“We sent word for reinforcements and all we receive is this!” The garrison commander pounded his mug on the table. They’d been ushered into his office the moment the gates opened. Her good feelings evaporated when she realized this city had been turned into an armed camp. When some of the refugees attempted to turn around and leave, they were stopped by the men manning the gate.
“Sir, we’re not reinforcements,” Laurel attempted to explain. “We’re trainees. We need...”
“Silence!” Captain Orsa shouted. “The High-King’s elite? Hah! Did you see those things circling the sky? We’re about to be attacked, idiot girl! Most of my troops were sent upriver to Jaruciax by royal decree. I send riders for help and this is what returns.”
Marcia tried to help her fellow air maiden. “We’ve been on the run for a week since our trainers were killed or captured. We’re just trying to get to Salif.”
Orsa ignored her and looked at the guardsman who’d brought them in. “I don’t have time to deal with this. Corporal, take these trainees to Smythe. Tell him to deploy them in the best manner to defend the city.”
“You have no authority over us!” Laurel stated.
Kayleigh knew it was true, but she also knew that truth and reality sometimes diverged. The man was a tall and imposing warrior with graying blonde hair that had seen too many years under the harsh sun. The man also had a look of desperation about him.
“My orders are to defend this city, and hold it I shall. You won’t leave until I say you can.”
“You’re trying to conscript us!” Laurel accused.
“That’s an ugly word for it, but feel free to use it. The Sultan of Jaruciax has a seat on the Council of Kings. You are pledged to serve the High-King and his court. As the Sultan’s representative, I must insist you stay and help me defend this city.”
Kayleigh figured the man was greatly overstepping his authority. Laurel did as well and voiced what everyone was thinking. Several of the trainees murmured in agreement.
The officer shrugged away their complaints and said, “If we get out of this, feel free to bring me up on charges to whoever might be left in power.”
This wouldn’t end well. Kayleigh caught Laurel’s eyes and she arched an eyebrow. Laurel grimaced and shook her head slightly and mouthed, “Not now.”
None of the girls moved and the guardsman cleared his throat. Orsa looked up from his maps and scowled. “Why are you still here?”
“We need to get to Salif. General Hawthorne’s headquarters is there. What good is holding a city if no relief force is coming?”
Her words seemed to get through to him.
“You’re right,” he said. “Pick one. She can go. The rest of you are staying. Your general is more likely to send assistance if there’s a reason for her to come here.”
He scrawled something on a piece of parchment and pushed it across the table to Laurel. “You’ll need this to get your rider through the gate.”
Laurel snatched it from him and motioned for the rest to leave with her. Once outside, they looked at each other until Amanda said, “This is a fine mess!”
Kayleigh agreed with Amanda’s assessment.
“So,” Tamera said after a minute
of awkward silence. “I guess I’ll be the one to ask it. Which one of us gets to ride out of this place?”
“It won’t be me,” Laurel said. “I’m the one who led us here. I can’t ride out of here and leave the rest of you. Whoever goes will be on her own and we’ll be counting on her to get to General Hawthorne and bring help. Marcia is the fastest rider, Tamera is the strongest physically, and Kayleigh is the most magically talented. From my perspective it should be one of those three.”
Kayleigh was moved by her friend’s words. “I’m not going either. I’m blooded, and I won’t leave the rest of you. Not when I can make a difference.”
Tamera spoke. “If you want me to go I’ll do it, but you might need me to do that same thing here that we did at Mon Alder.”
The earth maiden was intentionally being vague because of the presence of the guardsman.
Frowning, Kayleigh remembered the three earth maidens working in conjunction to open a hole in the wall that allowed them to escape. Breaking the defenses of this city would endanger all the people counting on the walls for protection.
Coming to a decision, Kayleigh said, “If this is a vote, I say Marcia.”
“Are you just trying to get rid of me?”
It was tempting to throttle the girl, but Kayleigh took a deep breath and found restraint. “I’m using common sense, Marcia. You’re fast and tough enough to fight anything you can’t outrun.”
Nodding, Laurel agreed and handed the document to Marcia. “I vote Marcia as well. From what the travelers in the caravan were saying, it’s a hard five days of riding from here. I am willing to bet you can make it in four.”
The blonde air maiden nodded and forced a smile before saying, “Four won’t be a problem.”
Only a few minutes were spent on goodbyes as each rider offered up some of their supplies for Marcia and her unicorn. Kayleigh gave her the remainder of her dried fruit and refilled Marcia’s canteens using her water summoning.
“Thank you,” Marcia said. Though her words seemed more forced than the smile from moments ago.
“Safe journey,” Kayleigh said, trying to be diplomatic.
“What do you want me to tell General Hawthorne about you?”
Frowning, Kayleigh thought it over and replied, “Tell her whatever you think will get her here the quickest.”
They found Smythe at the docks...or what was left of the docks. Only two of the ten piers were in usable condition, barely. The rest had been put to the torch. The guardsman addressed the man as “Taskmaster.” Smythe wore no uniform, but carried himself with an air of authority.
“Baby Battle Maidens, eh?” the man said in a deep, thickly accented baritone. He was a hulking brute, covered with body hair. “Better than nothing I suppose.”
Looking around, Kayleigh saw that the work crew was close to being an angry mob. Their ire was directed at a few people in fine traveling cloaks, under heavy guard, who were boarding a ship.
Typical. Even with the city locked up, the nobles still find a way to escape.
“We caught the scum that did it,” he said. “They didn’t even try and hide or deny it.”
Laurel asked if they had solid black eyes. The man nodded and answered, “Until they died. They entered the city under the guise of being blind. Those who escorted them are still somewhere in the city and ready to cause more trouble. We’ll deal with them when the time comes. Doesn’t really matter – we don’t have enough ships to use the piers anyway.”
“How much to get us out of the city?” Laurel went straight to the point.
The man laughed and scratched his bristly beard before responding, “Orsa won’t miss a handful of useless nobles. Shiftla is better off without them and they are better off without some of their coins. You ladies, on the other hand, would be missed and I would have a most difficult time explaining your whereabouts.”
“We could always tell him about the nobles,” Laurel said, clearly not above using a threat.
Smythe laughed deeply. “You have spirit, young lady. I think I will like you! As for our good captain, he has too much on his table right now. I suppose this would upset him, but he needs me more than I need him. Who else would put the beggars and paupers on his city walls where real soldiers should be and keep them from turning on him?”
“Why do you stay?” Laurel asked.
“A good question. Shiftla is my city.”
Kayleigh listened to the way he spoke possessively of the town and came to a realization. “You’re not a soldier are you?”
“Oh no! I am the Taskmaster, dear. As I go, so goes Shiftla.”
The others were confused by his response, but Kayleigh wasn’t. Many towns she’d lived in had a powerful merchant family that ruled with an iron fist. In Helden it was Rebekah Morganstern’s father, by virtue of owning most of the fishing vessels. In Laurent, larger than Helden but much smaller than here, it was a one-handed, ruthless man known as Claw. Smythe probably had men like those two working for him. He was both above and below them at the same time – a true crime lord.
“What can you do for us, sir?” Kayleigh asked, hoping to sound respectful and drawing on memories of how her mother had dealt with Claw and Morganstern. Brenda Reese made it look effortless, but Kayleigh now knew that it was anything but.
Laurel sent a questioning glance in her direction and Kayleigh hoped her friend wasn’t feeling slighted. Whitaker nodded her approval ever so slightly.
“For now, I can do very little. I can give you food and a place to rest. My compound is near. We shall go there shortly.”
“Then we thank you for the kindness you offer us,” Kayleigh answered for them and they waited for the man to finish giving his instructions to the work crews.
Kayleigh did her best to make Rheysurrah understand the situation as they moved through the nervous streets of the city and approached Smythe’s opulent compound, but the streets were now packed with people attempting to go about their daily routine amidst the flood of refugees aimlessly wandering the roads in search of something that they may never find.
She was reluctant to admit it, but she thought Majherri would require much less explanation. Her former unicorn was more experienced and had a better understanding of human nature. Shiftla was a pile of smoldering firewood waiting to burst into flame.
With a heavy dose of sarcasm, the young sorceress mused, “The rest of the riders, except maybe Laurel, don’t have a very good grasp on the situation either.”
Smythe had his own walls and the men manning them were far from ill-equipped peasants.
Of course a man like Smythe can’t run. His power is here. Take him away from it and he has to start all over again.
Winding their way through the unruly crowd was a different experience altogether. She was a unicorn rider. In the villages they’d stopped in on the trip when Kayleigh was recruited, they were welcomed with great fanfare. Riding into Talcosa, the High-King’s seat of power, had been overwhelming and she’d been lost in the moment. Now, she had a chance to really see the crowds from the saddle of her unicorn. Eyes looked upon them, some with jealousy or envy, some filled with hope, but many with anger. Around her, she felt as if the other riders were pulling closer to each other, reacting to the multitude of emotions surrounding them.
A few voices grumbled. Several rose above the collective muttering.
“About time you showed up!”
“Where are the rest of you?”
“Is the enemy here?”
“Do you have news? I have family in Kintalla!”
“Make way!” Smythe shouted from the saddle of his draft horse. It took a large and powerful horse to carry him. Kayleigh could see that many in the crowd recognized him and tried to step aside, but to the mass of refugees, he was just a big man on a bigger horse. His men attempted to push forward, but the now shouting crowd refused to move.
Smythe repeated his demand. When it had no real effect, he leaned back, turned his head over his right shoulder and address
ed Laurel. “Perhaps a show of strength is what is needed here.”
The air maiden didn’t look pleased, but Kayleigh saw acceptance on her face.
“Kayleigh,” Laurel said. “Help him.”
She nudged Rheysurrah forward and thrust her fist in the air. Pulling at the magic inside of the unicorn, she encased her hand in flame and made it grow skyward until the fire was as long as her arm. Scrunching her face in concentration, Kayleigh changed the color to a deep green. Fire maidens were often used in large scale battles in place of flags as signals to the unit commanders. Green was the color of movement.
Recalling Meghan Lynch’s forceful attitude when she led Kayleigh and the rest of the recruits through Talcosa, the young sorceress raised her voice. “Make way! Make way!”
Much to her surprise, the crowd slowly yielded. Smythe nodded to her and moved his horse slightly to the side, allowing her to the front. She kept feeding the flame and cycled through the color spectrum as Smythe’s deep voice alternated with hers to keep the mass of human bodies in motion. Several times, he leaned closer to tell her which way to turn.
Her throat was raw and she was beginning to lose her voice by the time they arrived at the thick doors to Smythe’s compound. The route seemed as if it had been ten times longer than it actually was and the relief Kayleigh felt when she could finally douse her signal flame was measurable. Smythe’s residence was a small castle in its own right with crossbowmen manning the walls. The ornate doors parted and a heavy, metal portcullis was raised, allowing them access to the courtyard.
Despite the bright sunny day and the fact that she’d just been producing a constant flame from her hand for several minutes, Kayleigh shivered now that she was free of the sheer mass of people around her. It was a sharp contrast from her ride through the desert where she’d hoped to see someone, anyone every time she crested a dune.
Smythe ordered food and water be brought for the unicorns and invited the riders into the main house for the first meal they’d had since before the group had left the island.
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