Worth Your While

by Connie Suttle

  Dragging myself toward the tree trunk, I cringed as more weapons fired around me. If I could only pull the body over mine, perhaps it would shield me from more bullets.

  The head had almost been severed, I noticed, as I attempted to burrow beneath the body, and it wasn't until the head lolled toward me as I moved it that I realized I knew the woman.

  Lilith.

  Dead.

  What was the bitch doing here, of all places?

  Zarigar

  When the small ranos cannon blast hit the granite behind Doyle Hicks, he was attempting to shield himself with the body of his dead lover. Just as he'd spent his life doing, he'd attempted to use someone else to cover for his misdeeds.

  The cannon blast split the rock and rendered it into a destructive explosion of granite shrapnel. Both bodies disintegrated in the force of the weapon's violent discharge.

  Rob

  Shakkor Agdah were everywhere. How had they increased their numbers like this? Of course, they'd remained in hiding for centuries, making all of us think that we'd devastated them so much they wouldn't consider coming out of hiding again.

  They'd certainly had help in this, just as our new allies said—there had to be at least twenty thousand of them. As for the damage their helicopters armed with demon killing weapons could do—I'd already witnessed it, and much closer than I wanted. Half of Stone Mountain was nothing but rubble, now, although the National Guard helicopters were armed with similar weapons.

  Had they not been, all of us may have died in the enemy's initial attack. The copters still aloft were now engaging one another, forgetting about the battle on the ground for now.

  Shakkor Agdah ground troops had emerged from nothing by the thousands, and all of them came at us, shouting and running. Many of them wielded demon killer rifles or pistols, which they aimed in our direction, caring not whether they hit anything or anyone.

  A rock demon fell with a cry, stones from his breaking body flying in every direction. Zephyr's blade never stopped moving as she spun wind about her, tossing away her kills to enable her to attack the next black robe who thought to take her down.

  Ebb pulled water from the air itself and aimed it straight into the faces of his opponents, temporarily blinding them while he relieved them of their heads.

  Blaze's body was encased in flames as he fought; it was fortunate he was a swift runner, as Shakkor Agdah preferred to flee from him and his blade.

  As for my attackers—earth, pebbles and plants answered to my call, filling eyes and nostrils with dirt, leaves and gravel while I attacked. The four of us worked in tandem to cut a swath through the southern side of the Black Myth army.

  My mistake, however, was not watching my back for only a moment. A squad of black cloaks had circled around behind me and my fellow sprites, intending to surprise us. Blaze had run ahead to take down another enemy soldier armed with a demon killer. He turned in the forceful act of slicing through the black cloak and his weapon and saw what was approaching.

  Behind you, he shouted into our minds.

  Swiftly I turned, swinging my blade.

  Too late.

  Almost.

  The enormous black wolf hit my attacker like a hurricane, going immediately for his throat. Neither I nor the wolf saw the next black cloak arrive from the opposite side, his demon killer pointed directly at us.

  No! Ebb flung water at the black cloak and the weapon. Water splashed the gun and the face of the enemy, throwing off his aim by inches. The weapon fired. The thin blast came so close to my face it nearly singed my nose.

  And then the wolf yelped behind me.

  I knew that yelp. There was nothing I could do to help or reverse the death the weapon wrought upon my friend.

  Cliff was dead.

  Someone else realized it, too.

  Cliff! Cassie shouted.

  Had I thought the battle was intense already?

  I was wrong.

  Cassie

  It was time. Even Denevik understood it. We'd held back for the most part, as instructed by Zarigar, Travis and Trent. They wanted to ensure that all the black-cloaked army, their helicopters and the Krelk were within a certain range.

  Cliff's death precipitated that waiting period—perhaps by seconds.

  Remember, I can fly, and you cannot harm me with your fire, Denevik informed me. I could probably have done all this myself, but he was there as a backup, just in case. Pulling me into a tight hug, my back to his chest, Denevik skipped us high in the air, until we were hanging above Stone Mountain and all those who fought below us. Even the helicopters were beneath us.

  Trey, I sent, pull the helicopters back.

  Done, he said a few seconds later. As my back was to Denevik's chest, he and I watched as the National Guard's helicopters turned and flew toward the east. Wide, leathery wings flapped at Denevik's back, keeping us aloft as Ver'Dak's stolen machines flew after our retreating choppers.

  We had to wait until the National Guard cleared the perimeter before we unleashed our last resort.

  The attempt to destroy all the enemy at once.

  Cliff was dead. Who knew how many others had fallen, too?

  I had to force myself not to think about that.

  Almost there, Denevik informed me. Almost there.

  Parke

  Liam was dead. Kent, Wallis and Jackson had fallen in battle. Now, Cliff was gone, too—there was no mistaking the grief in Cassie's sending, when she shouted his name.

  Time to get out now, William Winkler advised. All hell is about to be unleashed.

  Jerry, Pete, Ben and I were whisked away—by whom I'll probably never know. This was the plan—to pull us away when the moment presented itself.

  I hoped it was successful—I was done with these encroachers defacing the Earth I lived on.

  We found ourselves outside a lodge away from the mountain; the National Guard forces had taken it over as a command base. I could see their helicopters flying away from the scene, with the enemy in hot pursuit.

  Don't let them get away, I snapped at Cassie.

  She probably didn't need any prompting from me, I realized somewhat too late.

  "Watch this," Zarigar's hand dropped onto my shoulder. He'd shortened himself and made his appearance human, with darker skin, dark eyes and dreadlocks.

  "Colonel Brady," a man in uniform walked up to introduce himself.

  That's when the sky over the mountain lit up so brightly, it looked as if an atomic bomb had gone off.

  Get down, Zarigar said, sounding almost pleasant as he shoved me into the dirt, face first. The sound of the explosion, and a granite mountain cracking and then melting, almost deafened all of us.

  Chapter 18

  Rob

  Stone Mountain was no longer a mountain, and, because of the heat exerted upon it, no longer granite, exactly.

  The melting, followed by rapid cooling had turned it into a pile of multicolored Rhyolite. It was the pyre on which Cliff's body was consumed, and I found myself on my knees, weeping out my grief.

  Someone dropped to their knees beside me and keened.

  Cassie was crying her heart out with me, with Denevik beside her, attempting to soothe her pain.

  Instead, I pulled her away from him, and we wept together, her tears running down my armor and soaking the linen tunic beneath. Cliff was the best friend I'd ever had, and in the end, he'd sacrificed his life to save mine.

  I was already indebted to him for my life. Now, that debt would go on for the rest of my existence. How could I ever repay it?

  "What the hell have you done to my mountain?" a loud voice behind us demanded.

  The Governor of Georgia just arrived, Will informed us. Well, somebody else had survived the debacle. In the east, dawn was breaking and the Governor had come to survey the damage.

  We hadn't chosen this battleground; it was chosen for us. We'd just risked our lives and lost friends in this war. Had we not done what we did, perhaps his mountain would have been in
tact but his life would be forfeit.

  "Cassie?" I whispered against her ear. "Go with Denevik, now. I need to have a word with the Governor."

  "I will help," Zarigar said, offering a dark-skinned hand to lift me up.

  "I'm coming with you," Cassie said as Denevik pulled her to her feet. With eyes red from crying, she scrubbed her cheeks of moisture with a fist before nodding to Zarigar and me.

  Denevik came with us as we walked toward the Governor, who was now shouting at the National Guard Commander about the mountain's destruction.

  "In the end of all things," Zarigar spoke softly, but drew the Governor's attention anyway, "In the end of all things, it is not the fate of a single mountain that may be remembered here, but the fate of the very planet itself. Would you prefer to have your state, your country and your planet overrun by those who intended to kill you with a terrible disease? Or would you rather hold onto the past, even though you know it will destroy you and hand the planet to your known enemy?"

  "Who are you?" the Governor demanded, looking Zarigar up and down. "Who the hell is he?" The governor was now looking at me—the palest-skinned male in this group.

  "I am Zarigar of the Larentii." Zarigar understood what was happening and drew himself to his full, blue-skinned height. He gazed down upon the Governor, who swallowed hard and took a step backward. "As you can see, it is not the outside of anyone that truly matters."

  "My friend died on that mountain, protecting your ugly ass," I added. "If you want a monument to replace it, the sprites will be happy to build one for Cliff Young, Grand Master of the werewolves."

  "I, ah," the Governor backed up another step.

  "You owe your life to the supernatural races upon the Earth, that you only learned of in the past day or two," Cassie said. "Plus a few who don't even live on this planet but came to rescue your ugly ass anyway. Instead of yelling about your mountain, you should be handing out thank you notes. I believe the President was informed about the battle as it happened, just as you probably were."

  "The President has already extended his appreciation," the Commander joined our conversation. "For a job well done."

  "As you've come to realize," Zarigar spoke to the Governor again, "Pettiness does not belong in a conversation held with those who've recently come from battle. I suggest you retreat now and regain your dignity, then plan your words more carefully in the future."

  "We have friends to mourn," I said. "You do not rule the sprite kingdoms on this planet, or the elemental demons. I suggest you remember that in the future."

  "Are you ready to go, dearest?" Zarigar turned a gentle smile on Cassie.

  "I'm ready," she agreed, although Denevik's hand was the one she grasped before Zarigar moved us to the estate in Alabama.

  Ver'Dak Disrai

  They'd destroyed my entire fucking army, including the Shakkor Agdah. We were gaining the upper hand until that firebomb exploded above our heads.

  At least my shields held around me at the last—for the most part.

  I studied my image in the mirror; I'd escaped with only one eye and burns on my face, shoulders and chest.

  I'd been at the perimeter of the blast, as something felt wrong and I backpedaled in my vehicle at the last. Had I not, the fire would have broken through and I'd have died beside my slaves.

  I'd transported myself back to the compound on Earth IV, but it was empty and lifeless, now. I'd have to find another place to hide and quickly, in case this spot were revealed to those we'd fought.

  If I were lucky, they'd believe me dead. If not, they'd never stop hunting me. Time to build a new army. Tapping my comp-vid, I began searching for a likely world that would welcome an overlord like myself.

  Parke

  "I'm sorry, Gina," I said, although her tear-filled eyes accused me of allowing Kent to die. We'd lost so many, I hardly knew how to break the news to loved ones about the deaths.

  Daniel found me after we were removed from the mountain; he'd been busy filling cracks with ice and breaking granite into rubble beneath the feet of Shakkor Agdah. He was on the phone talking to Louise in Washington State, telling her that he'd survived, when so many others hadn't.

  "I'm so sorry, dear," Mom hugged Gina, who collapsed in her arms. Feeling even more uncomfortable, I walked out of the room to leave them alone. Instead, I went looking for the deserters, who'd ended up at the estate. I wanted to kill them and question them at the same time.

  William Winkler appeared beside me as I stalked through the hall leading toward the stairs; Travis and Trent arrived almost simultaneously.

  "What?" I demanded.

  "Now may not be the best time to do what you intend to do," Winkler growled.

  "And what is that?"

  "Zarigar calls it a mistake. He also says that if you don't want the remnant of Shakkor Agdah to remain here, we will take them with us. We can remove the disease from them, provide them with an education if they want, and jobs afterward, if that is their desire."

  "Why would you do that?" I stopped short and demanded.

  "Because they risked their lives to warn you," Travis said. "And they saved the lives of the Vice President's family." I forced myself to recall that Travis and Trent became dragons when they turned.

  Huge dragons.

  Dragons that could likely destroy a rock demon without thinking very hard about it.

  "There's something else, too," Winkler went on, as if we were discussing the weather.

  "What's that?"

  "Ver'Dak managed to escape. Randl says he was on the radar, and then he wasn't, and the trace of his death isn't anywhere around that mountain."

  "Who the hell is Randl?" I exploded.

  "Somebody you'll probably never meet, considering," Trent replied dryly. "Now, you can either notify next of kin, or you can let someone else with a bit more diplomacy handle that. I think you need a drink and some rest, considering your current mood."

  "That's bullshit," I hissed. That's when Winkler tapped my forehead with a finger and everything went dark.

  Travis

  "Look at that, it does work," Winkler studied his finger for a moment. "All right, let's go plead our case with Cassie."

  "You know they won't allow it unless they're with her," I pointed out.

  "I know. Come on—we have things to do and a schedule to keep."

  "You got that right," I said and stepped over Parke Worth's sleeping form to reach the stairs.

  Cassie

  Rob, Denevik, Zarigar and I stood on the back porch, staring at the lagoon behind the house while the sun climbed higher in the sky.

  Nearby, Zephyr, Ebb and Blaze kept watch while Rob and I mourned Cliff's passing from his favorite spot. I'd released every ounce of fire I contained upon Stone Mountain before daybreak, and I'd screamed Cliff's name while doing it.

  I didn't care how those below me died, I was so furious at the time. Now, exhaustion and grief had caught up with me again.

  "Did we get them all?" I turned toward Zarigar, who'd resumed his dark-skinned, human appearance.

  "Dearest, Ver'Dak managed to escape. I doubt he is without injury, but he is powerful, and likely on the very edge of the perimeter when you released your fire. The others—they are all gone, now. That, in itself, is a very great feat."

  I realized I was crying again when I unconsciously reached up to wipe the tears away.

  "What now?" Rob's voice sounded raw. "Will you still hunt that bastard?"

  "Of course. If we do not, he will find a new hiding place, a new army and create havoc on other worlds. I dare say he has learned his lesson on this one."

  "Take me with you," Rob grated. "I will help hunt him. It is what I owe to my friend. He saved my life a second time, at the cost of his own."

  "Will Destiny be safe?" I asked.

  "Dearest?" Zarigar frowned at my question.

  "If I go with you, too, will Destiny be all right here?"

  Denevik and Zarigar exchanged puzzled glances for a mome
nt, before turning back to me. "There is a place we know where Destiny will not only be safe, she can be herself as an ice demon, and get the best education the Alliances have to offer," Denevik said. "If you wish to help us track Ver'Dak, and Destiny agrees to leave this world for another. You've injured Ver'Dak already, I believe. Had you been closer, he wouldn't have survived your attack."

  "We have taken oaths to guard Cassie," Zephyr and the others walked toward me.

  "You are released from your oaths—there is no reason for you to go if you don't want to," I told them.

  "You do not understand," Ebb said. "We wished to protect you. We begged for the assignment and went through trials to win it. We want to go."

  "Cassie, we may not be back here for a very long time," Denevik reached for my hand. "Be sure of your decision, avilepha."

  "There is nothing for me here," I said, and realized I meant it. Parke and I—perhaps things would have worked between us had I not died and been reincarnated. Things had changed. I'd changed, too, as had he.

  Now, I realized he saw me as a rival. Someone others would follow and look to first, rather than him. If I stayed, he would resent me more than he already did.

  "Yes," I said. "I'm going—with Rob and Zephyr and Blaze and Ebb. And Destiny, too, if that's what she wants."

  "I want to go," Destiny opened the French doors behind us and stepped onto the porch, followed by William Winkler, then Captains Travis and Trent. Chet followed at Destiny's heels until he sat at my feet, looked up at me and meowed softly.

  "When will we leave?" I asked, bending down to lift Chet in my arms.

  "Now," Zarigar shrugged. "I can move anything else you wish to take with you."

  "Oh, no you don't," Beverly came barging out the door, shaking a wooden spoon. "Those people in the black cloaks don't know a thing about feeding themselves. Who's gonna take care of them?"