Magic and Misrule (Mishap's Heroes Book 1)

by KM Merritt

  “I caught a group of assassins trying to leave the tor. They had Astrid.”

  “Was she hurt? What happened?”

  “I don’t know. Henri went after them, but I thought it was important to stay together. Gruff is following them. We can catch up if we hurry.”

  A little of the tension bled from Vola’s shoulders. If Henri was there, nothing bad would happen to Astrid.

  Sorrel bounded to her feet, swinging her staff. “Are we going? Come on. They said hurry. Not drag your feet.”

  Lillie darted to Astrid’s shelf. “We should take some tea.”

  “Tea?” Sorrel cried.

  “Astrid’s tea, in case she’s hurt.”

  “Sorrel, get the swamp beast, please,” Vola said.

  “Ugh, only because you asked so nicely.” She disappeared around the corner.

  Vola turned to Braydon and his party. “You can go back to town or you can follow. I don’t care which. But goddess help you if you get in my way.” She didn’t wait to see what they chose.

  Talon led them down the tor, sure-footed even in the black of night. Vola had no idea what sort of trail Gruff had left for them, but Talon followed it without faltering, leading them around the wettest bits of swamp. Braydon and his party followed.

  Moonlight lit their path, and in an hour, they reached a line of trees standing in a row along the edge of a murky pool several hundred feet across.

  Henri stood silhouetted against the scene. Beyond him floated three flat-bottomed barges crowded with the now familiar golems in their illusory masks and clothes.

  Vola skidded to a stop beside Henri, her boots sending up a spray of water. “Henri.”

  Henri didn’t answer. He raised a hand to point at the center barge.

  A familiar figure stood with one arm wrapped around Astrid’s neck. Captain Wiselyn, Lord Arthorel’s guard captain. He raised his square chin to meet Vola’s stare.

  “Well, if there was any doubt about Arthorel,” Talon said as Gruff padded up next to them, “It’s gone now.”

  “They have boats?” Sorrel hissed. “All along there have been boats? Why didn’t anyone tell us that?”

  Vola slashed her hand through the air, commanding silence.

  “What do you want with her?” Vola yelled across the water.

  “A hostage,” Captain Wiselyn said with a smirk. “For good behavior.”

  Vola cocked her head. “Ours or hers?”

  Astrid chose that moment to sink her strong teeth into his arm.

  Wiselyn growled and shook her off. He brought his hand back and hit her across the face. The sound of the blow cracked across the water.

  Henri surged forward, splashing into the shallows just as Talon put an arrow through the nearest golem’s neck. It fell into the water and the illusion flickered away as the mud dissolved and sank.

  Captain Wiselyn grabbed Astrid by the hair and laid his sword across her neck.

  Vola grabbed Henri’s shoulder to keep him from wading any farther.

  “Don’t do that,” Vola said. “Or you’ll lose your bargaining chip.”

  “What do you want?” Lillie asked, her voice cold and soft but still crisp enough to carry.

  “Like I said. Good behavior,” Wiselyn said. “You’re not demonstrating a lot of self-control right now.”

  “We’re listening,” Vola said, signaling to Talon to lower their bow.

  “Leave Water’s Edge, leave Lord Arthorel’s lands, and she lives.” They couldn’t see any difference in the way he held the sword, but a little trickle of blood ran down the side of Astrid’s neck. “Stay, and she dies.”

  “What assurance do we have that you will honor that?” Henri said.

  Wiselyn shrugged. “My lord deals in living bodies. Not dead ones.”

  Vola felt Henri’s shoulder stiffen under his pauldrons.

  “Take me, then,” Henri said.

  Vola’s hand spasmed on his shoulder. “What?”

  “If you want a hostage, I’m more valuable to them.” He jerked his chin over his shoulder at Vola and the others. “They only just met her.”

  “You must think I’m an idiot.”

  “No, I think you’re a professional. So am I. I know how this works.” His mouth tipped in a mirthless smile that pulled at the scar along his cheek. “You take me and you won’t get a fight. You can bet I won’t bite you.”

  What the hell was Henri trying to pull here? It had to be a trick, but if it was, Vola couldn’t see the end of it. There were fifteen of the golems. Sure, they were trapped on the barges, but fifteen golems would make a mighty fine bridge if Wiselyn decided to push the issue.

  Wiselyn’s eyes moved between Vola and Henri.

  Was she supposed to look more worried for Henri? Or for Astrid? Which one did she want him to take? Neither if she could manage it.

  “Fine,” Wiselyn said. “I prefer my women willing, anyway. You walk over here slowly. Just you.”

  Henri waded forward, arms out from his sides, away from his weapons. When he got close enough to the barge, Wiselyn signaled a golem who knelt and dragged Henri aboard.

  Then Wiselyn pushed Astrid into the water.

  Vola splashed forward to catch her as she slipped and fell under the surface.

  Now, Henri, she thought at him, wishing her thoughts were arrows. Do it now. Whatever it is.

  Vola lifted Astrid and as her arms were full and Henri was half in and half out of the water, Wiselyn brought the hilt of his sword down on Henri’s head with a crack. Henri went limp across his feet.

  Vola cried out, but Wiselyn angled his blade to prick the back of Henri’s neck. “Don’t move.”

  Vola stood hip-deep in the water, supporting Astrid while the others stood silent and frozen behind. She glared at Wiselyn, wishing she could spring forward and drag him from the barge. She could hold his head under while he thrashed beneath her.

  But there were too many. Too many and Henri lay there helpless at their feet.

  “Same deal,” Wiselyn said, meeting her eyes. “Leave Lord Arthorel’s lands, and we’ll let him live. Stay and make trouble, and he’ll die.”

  “What will you do with him?” Vola growled.

  “Doesn’t matter. All you have to know is he’s alive somewhere. Or he’s in his grave. Your choice.”

  He rolled Henri further onto the barge and barked an order at the pole men who pushed them away across the water.

  And Vola had to stand there and let them go.

  Twenty

  Vola waded back to firmer ground with Astrid under her arm. She wasn’t entirely sure who was holding up who considering her knees threatened to buckle with every step. Astrid clambered up onto the water-logged patch of ground, swearing under her breath while Vola braced herself against a tree root and tried to breathe.

  Arthorel had Henri. The local lord hadn’t just tricked them into running around in circles. He still had the missing townsfolk, and now he had Henri, too.

  She hauled herself out of the water and stood dripping along the edge of the pool.

  “What now?” Sorrel asked as Vola’s hands clenched and unclenched. “Do we…do we leave to save Henri?”

  “Is saving him even an option?” Lillie said. “If we stay, they’ll kill him.”

  “If we go, then we’re letting them win,” Talon said. They crossed their arms and their hood trained on Vola. “Do we want to let them win?”

  “No.” Vola snapped her arms out to shake the water from them and cracked her neck. “No. It doesn’t matter what they threatened. I can’t leave Henri here. I have to go after him.”

  It wasn’t that he’d been kidnapped on her shield quest. And it wasn’t that she’d screwed up badly enough that he’d had to trade himself for Astrid. Those weren’t the main reasons her stomach crawled into a knot and burned bad enough to make her stagger.

  Henri was her trainer, but the word wasn’t enough to encompass everything he’d been to her. When she’d stood in the chapel surroun
ded by Cleavah’s light and all the other knights had turned away in disgust, Henri had chosen her. When she’d wasted time crying over all the paladins who would never accept her, he’d held her. When she hadn’t believed in herself, he’d believed for her.

  She wasn’t leaving him.

  She strode to the swamp beast and grabbed the lead rope.

  Someone cleared their throat behind her, and she turned to catch Braydon and his party shuffling their feet. She hadn’t even remembered they were there.

  The woman with the axes looked at her fellows. “We…we can’t go up against our lord,” she said.

  Braydon’s ranger nodded. “It would be suicide for us.”

  Vola opened her mouth to say “but your people are still missing.” But she thought better of it. “I understand,” she said instead.

  They exchanged a glance and the ranger and the wizard turned to start back into the swamp. The woman hesitated. Then she stepped forward to offer Vola her axes. “Just in case you need them.”

  Vola took them with a solemn nod. “Thank you.”

  Braydon remained for a moment after the others left, staring at Vola. She expected him to say something, though from his expression she couldn’t tell what.

  He didn’t. Finally, he turned to follow his party in silence.

  At least that was an improvement.

  Vola braced herself and turned back to Lillie, Talon, and Sorrel. “I don’t expect you to come with me—”

  “Why?” Talon said, hands on hips.

  Vola blinked. “Because this isn’t what you signed up for. Lillie needs money and you can bet we won’t be getting paid now. And Sorrel knows where to go to find Maxim’s Warhammer.”

  Sorrel rolled her eyes. “Clearly you haven’t been paying attention.”

  “We’re coming with you,” Talon said. “There are still families who are separated. Children who are missing.”

  “And kicking ass is so much more fun than my abbot led me to believe,” Sorrel said. “Besides, it’s Henri. Teacher extraordinaire, friend to kids and dogs. He’s like the embodiment of all that’s good in the world. The Warhammer can wait.”

  Vola’s chest swelled. Maybe Talon was right. Maybe mortals did need a pack, and this one was theirs.

  They all glanced at Lillie.

  Lillie bit her lip. “What if Lord Arthorel is unaware of Captain Wiselyn’s actions?”

  “What?” Sorrel cried.

  “He seemed so nice. And he’s their lord. It’s unthinkable that he would break that sacred trust.”

  “Lillie, he’s the illusionist,” Vola said. “He’s tried to kill us on multiple occasions.”

  “The assassin in his manor was aiming for us, not for him,” Sorrel said.

  Lillie covered her cheeks with her hands. Clearly, she didn’t want to believe it.

  “You have to choose,” Vola said, trying to keep the growl out of her voice. “You have to choose who to believe.”

  Lillie took a shuddering breath and finally spoke. “If he’s kidnapping his people…if he’s aware that Captain Wiselyn kidnapped Henri, then he’s broken his vows as a noble of Southglen.” She pulled her hands from her face. “He deserves neither pity nor mercy. If he won’t protect the people under his care, then we must.”

  She finally met Vola’s gaze, her eyes going fierce and bright. “I want to hit something,” she told Vola.

  Vola grinned. “Great. Follow me, and I’ll find you something to set fire to.”

  “Astrid,” Sorrel said. “You want an escort back to town?”

  “You’ll be safer there,” Vola said.

  Astrid snorted. “I’d be safer on the tor. But I want to be nearby in case you screw something up. You’re going to need more than tea.”

  Twenty-One

  They moved a lot faster through the swamp now, either because they were more practiced or because they traveled with Astrid, who seemed to know all the pathways and secret trails that didn’t plunge you into murky water every five steps.

  Vola’s mind felt clearer than it had for days now that they had an actual enemy ahead of them. Captain Wiselyn and Lord Arthorel’s faces floated in her mind’s eye, keeping her moving forward.

  She led the way with Astrid while Talon and Gruff followed. Lillie hurried to keep up and Sorrel brought up the rear, keeping an eye out for ambushes.

  Of course, it was just a coincidence that being out front meant she was out of reach of the swamp beast’s teeth. From Talon’s occasional yelps, that was a very good thing.

  By mid-afternoon the next day, they walked back into Water’s Edge hot, sweaty, and annoyed. But at least they weren’t covered in muck. Lillie’s sniffles had subsided, and Sorrel’s rash hadn’t shown back up after a dose of Astrid’s tea.

  Vola’s plan was to slip into town unnoticed so they could get a head start up the hill to surprise Lord Arthorel. Henri’s life depended on them being quick and quiet.

  So the last thing she wanted to see was a mob waiting for them in front of Becky’s Tea and Tap Room. Townspeople crowded around the steps, the dull murmur of their voices echoing against the buildings.

  There was something wrong about a mob gathered in full daylight. There should be pitchforks and clubs all lit by flickering torchlight. Not muggy sunlight outside a tea room.

  “Er, anyone have the urge to run in the opposite direction?” Sorrel said.

  “Cheer up, Miss Sorrel,” Lillie said. “These are our friends. They’re the ones who asked for our help.” Despite her words, her eyes darted left and right as if looking for an escape route.

  The crowd rippled as someone near the front caught sight of them. The people parted, and Becky stepped down from the porch, lips pinched and brow furrowed.

  “Here they are now. They’ll tell us the news.” Becky pushed forward. “Paladin Lightbringer. Have you found our people yet?”

  “Oh, er…” Shit. Maybe her plan should have been to avoid town altogether until they had more answers.

  Sorrel glanced at Vola before stepping forward. “No,” she said quietly. “But we have good news. We know where to look now.”

  “Then it’s true. They really don’t know what they’re doing,” another voice said.

  The crowd shifted and stepped back from the squirrely looking man with dirty spectacles. The council representative had stood just behind Knight Commander Imralen’s shoulder on the day Cleavah had chosen her. He’d whispered in Imralen’s ear the day she and Henri had left the academy.

  How much whispering had he done while they’d been fumbling through the swamp? Enough to do some damage. The people around them eyed Vola.

  “They’ve been gone nearly a week and they’ve done nothing so far,” he said, his voice barely more than a whine. “Your people are still missing. Your wives and husbands and children are still unaccounted for.”

  “What have you been doing all this time?” someone else said.

  “You were supposed to be helping us.”

  “They saved my life,” Astrid said from just behind Vola’s shoulder. “That’s a damn sight better than doing nothing.”

  “But one life for how many others?” The representative pointed at Astrid. “Is she a fair trade for all those missing families?”

  “That’s not how this works,” Vola said as Astrid glared down her nose at the representative’s finger. “I didn’t decide to save Astrid instead of someone else. I’m on my way to save the others right now.” Hopefully.

  “But how can we trust you when you’ve done so little?” The representative shook his head sadly. “Maybe this town needs a different hero. Anyone else.”

  Vola’s fists clenched at her sides. He was just trying to keep her from getting her shield. That was it. He didn’t care about these people. He didn’t care about Becky’s husband, Porter, or the orphans who didn’t even have families here, or Henri.

  He would hurt all of them just to discredit her.

  And there was nothing she could do to fight him. Nei
ther her words nor her actions to this point had convinced the townsfolk to trust her. And punching him in the face would only get her into trouble she couldn’t afford.

  “This town needs someone else,” he repeated and turned theatrically so the gathered crowd turned with him. “One of their own.”

  Vola’s heart sank. Braydon and his party lounged on the bench outside Becky’s tea room.

  Braydon’s eyes locked on Vola, then he casually surveyed the angry crowd. He’d removed his blood-stained breastplate and pauldrons, but he still wore his sword in its sheath. Somehow, he managed to look fresh even after several nights in the swamp.

  Vola could feel the dirt and sweat gathered in each of her joints and under her fingernails, and she fought the urge to itch.

  “How about it, Braydon?” the representative asked.

  “Fuck off,” Braydon told him. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  Lillie choked. Vola laughed before she could think better of it.

  “Vola and her team saved us. Twice,” Braydon said as his party nodded behind him. “She healed me when I was hurt. And she was the one who figured out Lord Arthorel is kidnapping our people.”

  A cry went up from the crowd.

  “Our own lord?” someone said.

  “What’s he doing with them?”

  “What do we do now?”

  Braydon raised his hands. “We might not be able to fight him. But she can.” He gestured to Vola. “Paladins are supposed to right wrongs. Even if it goes against the nobility. The normal rules don’t apply. Not when she answers to the gods themselves.” He blew out a big sigh. “We’re done playing hero. You might as well trust a real one. She’s earned it.”

  The crowd glanced at each other, murmurs cascading back and forth.

  But the representative pulled his lips back in a sneer. “You want to talk about the gods?” he said. “You don’t even know who she serves. The Lesser Virtue of bitchiness and mockery. Not a real goddess at—”

  Vola stepped up to him and leaned into his face. “Bullshit,” she said deliberately.

  The lightning bolt streaked down to strike the street, sending out a branch to sting him on the rear end.