Evenlight

by Krista Walsh

  Taking a deep breath, he turned around to face them. “You really sawed off its head while it was on top of me, didn’t you. Yeah. You did that.”

  Venn scowled, wiping her blade on the white fur. “What other choice did I have? It wouldn’t stop trying to eat you. But what the fuck is up with this thing. It’s dead.”

  Jeff wiped his face with his sleeve. “So you said.”

  “No, I mean it was dead. Before, already. Had to be. For one thing, it didn’t bleed. For another, well, this is disgusting.”

  The lack of blood made Venn’s deduction likely enough that Jeff almost skipped checking out the other clue she referred to, but he braced himself and leaned in to get a closer look.

  “I might throw up again,” he said.

  Venn grinned. “What? You don’t like maggots?”

  Breathing out heavily, Jeff stood up straight and looked around him. “So what does this mean? A lone dead-undead wolf in the middle of a snow field. It’s a little strange.”

  “For Andvell?” asked Venn. “Almost run of the mill.”

  “It shouldn’t be. Not anymore. Raul is dead.”

  Venn slid her knives back into their sheaths and zipped her coat back up. “Fluke? If the Sisters dropped us within walking distance of the Keep, which I pray to the nine gods they did, it means we’re also close to Treevale. It’s not impossible he has some lingering pets. Animals that weren’t connected to that enchantment thing you broke.”

  Jeff weighed her words against anything else he could come up with and agreed it was the most plausible theory.

  “Even so, do the instincts of these things change once they’re dead? Don’t wolves normally hunt in—”

  A series of blood-chilling howls broke the silence of the field, and the rest of Jeff’s sentence disappeared under the sound.

  Venn growled, once more unzipping her coat and freeing her weapons, this time passing two to Jeff. “You just had to say it.”

  Jeff counted five shapes approaching in the distance, but they blended so well there could have been a dozen.

  “There are only two of us,” he said. “And they’re already dead. Suggestions?”

  Venn braced herself as the first wolf started running. “Fight as if you want to live to find Cassie.”

  She darted forward, rushing to meet the fight.

  Jeff had no intention of mimicking her, but he didn’t have long to wait before the fight came to him. He wished he had something larger than a dagger—like an actual ten-foot pole—but when the wolf flew at him, he had the blades poised and felt resistance as the steel passed through the fur and flesh and muscle of its shoulder.

  The strike gave the wolf pause, but it fought on, teeth gnashing as it prepared to launch itself again.

  Jeff jerked the blades free just in time to slice them across the belly of a second wolf that had sneaked up behind him.

  “Get out of there!” Venn called, smashing the hilt of her blade repeatedly onto one wolf’s skull.

  Jeff did a quick whirl and found himself penned in by seven other creatures, all tensed and snarling. All in various stages of decay.

  The wolf he’d stabbed limped to join his pack, and Jeff continued to circle, wanting to keep as many in sight as he could, looking for the weak link.

  It wasn’t hard to spot. The one on his left had lost its bottom jaw during decomposition, its eyes a milky white. Hoping against hope it was as blind as it looked, Jeff made a run for that one, leaping over it to land in a snow heap on the other side.

  At least now he was on the outside of the ring, for however long he could manage to stay there.

  Venn threw down the pummelled remains of her foe and jumped on the next one.

  “Why do they always go after me?” Jeff demanded, waving the blades in front of him to keep the next wolf at a distance. They were toying with him, he knew. At any moment, they would all pounce. And they would win.

  “Because they know you’re weak and soft,” Venn called back. “Show them some balls!”

  Jeff groaned, tightened his fingers around both hilts. “I hope you’re being metaphorical.”

  He pulled a Venn and launched himself into the pack of seven, stabbing and slicing anything that came within reach. He knew the strikes wouldn’t kill, but he’d tear them to ribbons if he had to.

  Teeth snapped in his ears, and sank into his arm. He cried out, but kept hold of the knives, tearing his arm away so the teeth came with it.

  The wolves were strong and they were mean, but they were also falling apart at the seams.

  Another jaw clamped down on Jeff’s leg, and he used his other foot to kick, his boot going through the soft skull. A third wolf tore at Jeff’s belly with claws that felt loose in its paws, tearing at his favourite winter coat but not strong enough to get through in one go.

  Venn released another yell and dropped herself into the mass of beasts around Jeff’s head, bringing three of them into the snow with her.

  The other four backed off to prepare another attack, and Jeff scrambled to back away, his blood marring the pristine white field. His arm and leg burned with pain, but he found he could hold himself on his feet to brace for the second onslaught.

  It never came.

  The sound of a horn called in the distance, and the wolves turned their attention away.

  Venn had just cut the head off another wolf when the other two turned their backs on her, ignoring the damage she had caused.

  They howled again and started off at a run towards a company of horses riding their way.

  Knees shaking, Jeff sank into the snow as the other four pursued the first two, and he watched as the riders dismounted, swords flashing in the afternoon sunlight. He heard the exclamations of surprise as they made the same discovery as Venn and Jeff, but they made quick work of the wolves, and soon the animals were still.

  Venn hurried over to kneel next to Jeff, pulling up his pant leg to investigate the bleeding gash. Cleaning with it out with snow, she sat back on her heels.

  “You’re a pu—”

  “Hey now,” Jeff interrupted her. “I fought.”

  “It’s nothing more than a scratch.”

  “I didn’t complain!”

  Venn looked like she was about to argue further, but she stopped and tilted her head. “Huh. You’re right. Look at you, getting all brave and able to handle yourself in a crisis.”

  Jeff grumbled under his breath about making a big deal out of nothing, but he couldn’t ignore the hint of pride he felt for not freaking out and hiding in a rapidly made snow fort.

  Venn used Jeff’s shoulder to balance herself as she stood up, and extended a hand to pull him to his feet.

  “Who do you think those people are?” she asked. “Do we flag them down or prepare for another fight?”

  Jeff blocked the sun with his hand and squinted into the banners of the company, feeling just as much shock at what he made out than he had at the discovery that Andvell still crawled with zombie pets.

  “Oh, we’re in for a fight, all right,” he said. “But not just yet.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Jeff pointed at the banners, and Venn adopted the same squinty expression as Jeff before her mouth fell open at the approaching riders, green and gold colours flapping in the winter wind. “I’ll be spanked by all the nine gods with a lightning bolt.”

  Jeff frowned and cast her a sidelong glance. “There’s an image I didn’t need.”

  “Sorry,” she said, not sounding all that apologetic, “but what are the odds?”

  “The Sisters brought us here. I’d guess it isn’t a matter of odds at all.” He started towards the company, doing his best to cover his limp from Venn’s mockery, and Venn plodded along beside him.

  “Remind me to get higher boots,” she grumbled. “Can’t take a step without getting half the field in with my socks.”

  “I hadn’t even noticed until you mentioned it,” said Jeff, grimacing as he now felt the squelching in his boots.
“I’ll never understand how you can be so calm after nearly being killed by the undead.”

  Venn patted him on the back. “There’s a lot you’ll never understand about women, Jeff. It’s best you accept it now.”

  Soon the faces of the riders were in sight, the hawk on the banner sharp against the sun’s glare.

  “Hold!” a familiar voice called out to them. Jeff decided to play it safe and stop, wait for them to come to him.

  The man at the front of the line dismounted, his lopsided frame making Jeff smile.

  He remembered four months ago, the way that same frame had leaned against his kitchen wall, one foot crossed over the other, smug smile on his face. Time for the tables to turn.

  Grinning, he said, “Hey, Jayden.”

  The Feldall lord couldn’t have looked more surprised if he’d walked in on a unicorn eating cereal in his bedroom.

  “What in the burning warbear turd are you doing here?” he said.

  Jeff’s smile grew wider. “It was a nice day. Thought I’d get out of the city and enjoy some fresh country air.”

  “You son of a bitch,” Jayden replied, smile growing to match Jeff’s, his one good eye crinkling in the corner. He came closer and threw his arm around Jeff, slapping him on the back. “You didn’t even let us know you were coming.”

  “How would we have done that?” asked Venn. “This one can’t write, and it’s not like we could send a carrier pigeon.”

  “Couldn’t write,” Jeff grumbled.

  “Couldn’t,” Venn corrected. “As of ten minutes ago we would have been able to let you know just fine.”

  She rolled her eyes as if Jeff had missed the important point.

  “I just mean Maggie didn’t mention anything,” said Jayden, still grinning. “She doesn’t usually keep these things a secret.”

  “She doesn’t know either. She didn’t bring us here.”

  Jayden’s brow furrowed. “Then how—?”

  “The Sisters’ magic ball,” said Venn. “We thought we’d surprise you.” She stretched out her arms. “Ta da!”

  “Surprise is right. And what about these wolves. Those part of your surprise?”

  Jeff frowned. “Part of our welcome party, it would seem.”

  Jayden looked back at the wolf corpses. “I guess we should be grateful it’s not made of poison, or doesn’t burst into flame on contact. Regular undead animals are kind of dull in comparison.”

  Jeff smirked, and Venn raised a hand. “Now that we managed to track you down in the middle of nowhere, I don’t suppose we could get a ride somewhere warm and fill you in over a bowl of broth? It’s kind of fucking freezing out here.”

  She danced in her boots and chafed her hands together.

  Jayden nodded and gave a sharp whistle. A second rider approached, leading an empty horse behind her.

  “It’s not Swish,” he said, “but at least he’ll take you back to the Keep.” The smile faltered, and Jayden’s shoulders slumped as though someone had dropped a weight on them. “This horse just lost his rider in an accident.”

  Jeff patted the horse’s neck. “I’m sorry. New trouble?”

  Jayden straightened his spine, reverting into the role of lord of his territory. “Like Venn said, let’s get somewhere warm first, then we can talk.”

  The rider—a soldier Jeff didn’t know—held the mare while Jeff wriggled his way into the saddle. Venn sighed and mounted up behind him, looking like she barely touched the horse in the process.

  “Show off,” said Jeff.

  “Learn to ride,” Venn countered.

  Jeff reached his foot back to kick her in the leg, and she punched him in the shoulder.

  The gesture sent an ache through Jeff’s heart, waiting for a reprimand from Cassie that never came. His breath caught in his throat, and his fingers tightened around the reins so hard his knuckles turned white.

  Venn’s thoughts must have gone down a similar track because she rested her hands on his shoulders and gave them a squeeze. “We’ll get her back. Promise.”

  Letting go of the reins with one hand, he reached up to squeeze Venn’s fingers, then dropped it before she got uncomfortable with the show of affection.

  But she didn’t take her hands away the whole ride back to the Keep.

  Chapter Five

  By the time the gates of Feldall’s Keep appeared in the distance, the sun had started to set. The snow continued to fall, the road growing more and more difficult for the horses to manage, slowing their arrival.

  If Jeff had been surprised the last time he rode through the gates, when the land outside the Keep was barren and scorched but inside life was flourishing, it was nothing to how he felt now. Flourishing wasn’t a strong enough word. It was booming. In the darkening evening, lantern light from a dozen new cottages warmed the scene to Jeff’s left, where the servants and merchants lived. To his right, the training yard was quiet, but he could see the shapes of new buildings. In the centre of the village, the semi-circle of shops had grown into a full little market, although closed for the night.

  “Amazing,” he whispered.

  Three months had accomplished all of this. He knew Jasmine’s leadership was strong, but in the four books he’d written, he’d never seen the Keep so successful.

  As Jayden reached the stables and dismounted, Jeff wondered if the man would have any energy left to get back up to the Keep, he looked so exhausted.

  While Jayden dismissed the company, Jeff sneaked into the stables to look for his friend.

  Swish, the bay gelding Jeff had unofficially claimed as his own horse, stood in his usual stall, tail flicking as he munched on dinner.

  “When you’re not moving, you’re eating, aren’t you?” Jeff said as he approached, unable to keep the smile off his face.

  Swish snorted and nosed Jeff’s shoulder, his breath coming in thick clouds of fog. Jeff buried his hands in the gelding’s mane and rested his forehead on his neck.

  “I get my sanity back and my heart is stolen,” he said. As always he found it easy to speak to Swish. Something about his inability to judge or talk back. “Why can’t I have your life for a day, boy? You can bumble about in my shoes and make the hard decisions, and I can hang out in here eating. Sound good?”

  “Hey, coz!” Venn called to him from the doorway. “You going to rely on the horse to solve our problems, or should we go inside and spill the deal to people who can actually help?”

  “Hey now,” Jeff replied, “you don’t know what he’s capable of. One of these days he’s likely to save us all.”

  He gave the horse one last pat, and then followed Jayden and Venn over the bridge and up the salted stairs towards the Keep.

  “Jax’ll be thrilled to see you,” Jayden said as they stepped into the foyer.

  The servants at the door stared in wonder at Jeff, and he gave them some self-conscious smiles in return.

  “I can’t wait to see her. Hear all the news.”

  Jayden laughed. “Oh, there’s news, all right. She’ll talk your ear off.”

  Jeff raised an eyebrow. “Jasmine Feldall? Chatting? That doesn’t sound like her.”

  Jayden’s grin returned, only a hint of the sly rogue beneath a surprisingly sincere happiness. “She’s a changed woman, my sister. You’ll see.”

  Jayden showed them to a parlour on the main floor that Jeff had never entered. Running around panicking over Raul hadn’t left much time for lounging around or sneaking in a complete tour of the Keep.

  The room was warm, a fire burning in a hearth as high as Jeff’s head. Sofas and chair circled in the centre, with a buffet along the wall next to the door covered with decanters of various liquors.

  Jayden poured three drinks, handing one to Jeff, one to Venn, and taking one for himself.

  “I’ll leave you two in here for a minute while I run up and see if my sister is presentable. Maggie will probably hear you’ve arrived as well, so don’t panic when she runs in screaming.”

  Jef
f smiled. “It’s only been three months, Jay. I think I remember what to expect.”

  Jayden laughed again and walked out, closing the door behind him.

  Venn frowned. “I don’t like it. Is it possible that because we used the Sisters’ way of getting here, this isn’t the real Andvell, but some other wacky version of it? Jayden in a good mood, Jax chatty, showing us into the parlour to wait as if we’re guests. None of it’s normal. How do we know this isn’t still an illusion?”

  “Is it true?” a voice drifted from down the corridor. “Let me see them, where are they!”

  Jeff steered clear of the door as it flew open, and a buxom blonde in a long skirt and corset threw herself around his neck in the tightest squeeze since the last time he’d seen his mother.

  “Hi, Maggie,” he said with a chuckle.

  “Jeff Powell, you sneaky bastard, what are you doing here?” The enchantress pulled away to give Venn a similar greeting. The younger woman stared at Jeff over Maggie’s shoulder in feigned panic. The Venn that Jeff had originally brought to the Keep would never have accepted such treatment, but now he suspected she didn’t mind nearly as much as she pretended to.

  “We have business in Andvell,” said Jeff, figuring he would wait to share the details until everyone was in the room. Share the good news in one go. And then ask them for help getting Cassie back.

  Maggie stepped away from Venn, keeping her hand on the girl’s arm. “Business? As if this place is just a few hours’ ride away. I can’t wait to hear the rest of this story.”

  “Neither can I,” said Jasmine, coming into the room, followed by Jayden and Brady.

  To see them all together, none of them had changed, and yet none of them were the same. Jeff stood amazed at how much of a difference three months could make.

  Jasmine, still with her dark hair braided over her shoulder, still in her knee-high black boots, corset and green tunic, looked ten years younger than when Jeff had arrived here last time. She looked happy. Yet there was still tension in her shoulders as she gave him a hug, and a worry behind her eyes as her attention flicked every now and then to the door, as if she knew she should be somewhere else.