The woman shut her eyes tight and started taking deep, deliberate breaths, as though she was running through a mental routine to calm herself down.
“She’s not going to say anything unless we get creative,” whispered Mira. “Did I mention that she smells… rather exquisite?”
Lee took a step forward, reaching out an arm as though to pry Mira loose.
Ryoko grabbed Lee’s hand before he could. “It’s not ideal, but it makes sense. If she hasn’t told her friends about us already, she will if we let her go. There aren’t many other choices for us beyond this.”
Beyond killing her, Lee thought. He sighed, unhappy about the situation, but also seeing little other alternative.
“Besides, she can help us get inside,” said Mira. “Isn’t that right? You’re a good girl, aren’t you? Shhh… This will only hurt for a second.”
The woman was trembling, a detail which made it difficult for Lee to watch what came next. He forced himself to see it, keeping his eyes locked on Mira’s fangs, like silver daggers in what remained of the pale moonlight.
She sank them deep into their captive’s neck. The woman flinched as though she’d just been pinched unexpectedly, and then her expression took on a distinctly pleasured cast. Mira made a few noises that brought Lee’s mind back to the previous night, and then it was done.
The woman fell to her knees on the sand and Ryoko, always the compassionate soul, dropped to join her.
“What’s your name?” asked Ryoko.
“Kaitlyn,” she mumbled.
“Kaitlyn. Have you reported our presence back to your friends?”
The woman shook her head. Ryoko smiled and let out a sigh of relief.
“Fantastic,” said Mira. “Kaitlyn, you’re going to help us get into the base. For now, we’d like you to head back there immediately. What we need you to do is find a way to bring down the base’s defenses and unlock the gate. Can you do that for us?”
The woman nodded enthusiastically.
“The illusion veil as well,” said Lee. “I think I’m the only one who can even see it right now.”
“Yes,” said Mira. “Can you handle that too?”
“…Yes,” mumbled the woman.
Mira gestured with her hand, and she stumbled off down the dune. With a view from the high ground, Lee could see their destination in the distance, though it wasn’t much to look at. It was a simple squat tan building surrounded by an outsized wall. He didn’t see anyone outside or within the cordon, though they would have been tiny at that distance.
“Is she heading in the right direction?” asked Ryoko.
“Yeah,” said Lee. “It’s over there. You can still see where the sand has been conspicuously flattened. The wide square without any dunes.”
He chewed his lip, searching through the remnants of memories he still had from Miles, the dead Order agent. A detail he’d missed before suddenly came to him, and he swore under his breath.
“Fuck,” he muttered.
“What is it?” asked Mira.
“This might get a little complicated,” he said. “Let’s get to the oasis. I’ll explain everything there.”
***
It was still dark when they arrived, but even without much light, Lee could make out the disappointment that was their destination. The oasis looked like a starved mockery of anything that should have borne the name. It was no wider across than a children’s swimming pool, barely deep enough for a person of Lee’s height to sink in up to the shoulders. A few pathetic-looking bushes grew around the edge.
“It’s fine,” said Ryoko. “It should still work. Though it might be a slower process than we were anticipating.”
“How slow?” asked Mira. “The attack becomes much more complicated if we have to launch it during the day. Jack and I won’t be able to fully utilize our abilities.”
“I’ll get started right away,” said Ryoko.
She didn’t bother stripping out of her clothing, diving into the oasis without even the tiniest of splashes. The water churned and swirled, becoming an opaque whirlpool that sloshed onto the sand around the edges.
Lee held Tess’s hand as he waited, though he couldn’t pull her into his mystic stream anymore while she was standing. She was smiling and it seemed sincere, despite it all. He’d never realized just how much that smile was worth to him.
Over the course of the next few minutes, reinforcements began to pour out of the whirlpool. Jack and Zoe were first, followed shortly after by several dozen members of the House of Shadows dressed in their usual black assortment of sweatshirts and hoods.
Lee didn’t recognize any of the ones whose faces he could see, but from the wide berth they gave him, they certainly recognized him. Shannara and Bryan, neither of whom Lee was all that pleased to see, emerged next.
It felt like an advanced version of the classic clown-car skit, a never-ending line of people emerging from a pool of water barely larger than a jacuzzi. Rank-and-file members of the Melting Pack came through last, most of them looking rather normal aside from shaggy hair and occasionally disheveled or torn clothing.
Ryoko reemerged once the transfer was finished. Quiet murmurs and hushed conversation had broken out among the assembled warriors, close to a hundred in total. It was, as far as Lee knew, nearly the full strength of both factions.
“What’s the situation?” asked Jack. He wore a black turtleneck and black jeans, along with a long trenchcoat-style jacket that Lee knew would be insufferable once the day warmed.
“The base doesn’t seem heavily defended,” said Lee. “It’s still invisible to most eyes, but Mira took a prisoner who will take care of that for us.”
Jack nodded. He glanced around the faces of his inner circle: Mira, Ryoko, Zoe, and apparently now, Lee.
“There’s one more thing you need to be aware of,” said Lee. “They have a Way Gate. It’s against the cliff about a quarter mile from the base to the north.”
“A Way Gate?” asked Ryoko.
“An access point to the Arcane Way,” answered Zoe. “It’s similar to your water teleportation, only permanent. If I had to guess, I’d say there’s a very real chance that reinforcements will be coming in from there once the battle breaks out.”
“We’re not trying to make this a battle,” said Lee. “We’re here to rescue the innocent people they’ve captured and get out.”
“He’s right,” said Jack. “We should divide our force, then leave a portion of it at the Way Gate, a group to keep the path back to the oasis clear, and then a main strike force.”
They all agreed, and the next few minutes consisted of dividing into the three listed groups. Lee, Jack, Mira, and Zoe were in the main strike force, along with a few dozen members of the House of Shadows.
Ryoko stayed with the group defending the oasis. Shannara and Bryan, along with the Melting Pack and the rest of the House of Shadows, were tasked with watching the Way Gate.
“Be ready for anything,” said Jack, addressing the entire force. “I can’t promise that this will be as straightforward as it currently seems. Be flexible and expect the plan to change on short notice.”
A murmur of agreement came from all assembled. Lee glanced toward Tess, who had a determined expression on her face. Part of his reasoning for agreeing to help with the attack had been Eliza’s words, along with the idea of drawing her out of hiding to defend the Order. If it worked, he could save Tess, reverse whatever was happening to her. He wanted it so badly, to the point where it almost felt dangerous.
“Ready?” she whispered. She flashed a nervous, dimpled smile at him.
“Ready,” he said.
CHAPTER 30
All the pieces were in place, but the strike force was still without a visible target. Lee crouched behind a dune alongside Jack, Mira, and his sister, staring at the veiled base in the distance. He could see it, and he suspected Zoe could as well, but it wasn’t as though they could lead an entire group in blind.
“Are you sur
e that the woman you bit was enthralled?” asked Jack.
“Of course!” Mira let out a huff and brushed a lock of blonde hair over her shoulder. “Just be patient.”
It took a few more minutes, but it finally happened. Nothing much changed for Lee, but a few gasps came from the rest of their group as, from their perspective, the base blinked into existence.
“There it is.” Jack turned and looked at Lee. “Well? You’re the one who knows the base best. How should we proceed?”
Lee chewed his lower lip and shook his head. “I don’t think your friend Kaitlyn is going to be able to pull through a second time, Mira. They’ll have noticed the illusion veil is down and be watching the gate that much more closely.”
“That’s not much of a problem,” said Jack.
He stood up, dusted his hands off, and then leapt into the air. Inky-black shadows rose from the darkness, gathering underneath him like a cursed cloud. He rose upward, all the way to the edge of the wall. A shout came from somewhere within the base, but Jack barely seemed to give it any notice as he dropped down to the interior courtyard.
“Handy,” said Lee. “Alright, let’s get into position outside the entrance.”
They arrived just as the electronics to the gate hummed and slid to the side. Lee was expecting a fierce battle on the other side, but there were only two guards, one of whom was already unconscious. Jack held the other by the shirt scruff, ignoring the man’s desperate pleas to be spared.
“I’m only security!” he cried. “I’m not involved in what they do down below! Kaitlyn! Tell them!”
Mira’s thrall stood off to one side, and she said nothing, though whether it was out of confusion or the simple fact that Mira hadn’t given the order to speak was anyone’s guess.
“Where are the prisoners?” asked Lee.
“…What?” The man blinked, still struggling against Jack’s grip. “I—down below! Take the elevator! I have a keycard. Please—just, just—”
“Enough.” Jack pulled the keycard loose from the man’s shirt pocket and pushed him toward the other members of the House of Shadows filing in through the open gate. “I believe he means that lift next to the main building.”
“It’s too small for all of us to go down at once,” said Lee. “We’ll have to split up.”
“I’ll keep watch up here with the rest of my followers,” said Jack. “Mira, Zoe, you should both accompany Lee. He still has the best sense of this place.”
The two women nodded, and Lee led them over to the lift. The keycard slid into an activation slot on the face of a panel with two buttons on it, and he pressed the one shaped like a downward arrow.
They began to descend, the blackness of the lift’s shaft making the late-night sky seem positively illuminating in comparison. Tess was still next to Lee, and he reached out to touch her ethereal hand, noticing the tiny, nervous gestures he’d come to recognize in her.
“There’s no telling what the Order may have already done to them,” said Zoe. “Remember: we’re here to help them, but we’re still in enemy territory. We can’t let any of our secrets slip, especially not about our base.”
“I’m well aware, sweet Zoe,” said Mira.
“I was mainly addressing my little brother,” said Zoe.
“I got it,” said Lee.
He briefly considered the fact that Eliza had found the mansion on Lestaron Island, and depending on how openly she’d thrown herself into her alliance with the Order, they might already have the full details. She might know more than just that, more than they even realized.
“I have a bad feeling about this,” whispered Tess.
The corridor the lift descended into was lit only by a single dim light hanging from a line a few feet in front of the lift. It was a long, open space, with enough shadow to hide dozens of enemies.
Lee held his arms out, gesturing for Mira and Zoe to stay where they were, as his suspicion was immediately given justification. Several shapes moved in the darkness, the familiar movements of hands lifting up into casting stances. At least ten, by his count.
The first spell came without warning, a hail of purple energy that resolved into conjuration bindings in midair. Zoe and Mira tensed for action. Lee was quicker on the draw, sweeping his hand in an arc as he used dispel.
The bindings fell aside like bits of wet paper in a storm. Lee grinned and gave a sort of sideways nod.
“Well then,” he said. “Looks like it’s time to dance.”
Harper chose that moment to reveal herself, stepping into the light and falling into a casting stance Lee had never seen before. One that involved an outward stretched arm and a device that looked… quite a bit like a taser.
The prongs bit into his shoulder, and true to his word, Lee did some dancing. The electric boogaloo, or perhaps the overloaded nervous system jig. He tried to glare at Harper in lieu of expressing his frustration for her underhanded tactics as he fell to his knees.
Mira took a step forward, a shadow tendril emerging from her body to strike the taser’s line. Lee let out a shout as the prongs tore open more flesh on their exit, but it was a small price to pay to have the control of his muscles returned to him.
The silence ruled for a moment, long enough for everyone to exchange glances and think. Harper had been waiting for them. Which meant…
“You already knew,” he said. “This was a trap.”
Harper’s robe was black and red, tight in all the places that mattered, with small accents similar to shoulder pauldrons either for protection or pointless gravitas. Her golden braid was perfect, without a hair out of place. Her expression was cold and emotionless, and Lee knew it for the mask that it was. He could see how tired she was underneath.
“A trap,” she said. “This is a situation of your own making. You stumble into a trap, you break down the gate and force your way in.”
“Oh my,” whispered Mira. “I’m going to have so much fun with you.”
The vampire threw herself forward, lashing out at Harper with curled fingers. She blocked the strike with her forearm and spun to the side, giving one of the mages behind her a clear line of fire.
Half a dozen magic missiles hissed through the air in rapid succession. Lee only failed to disintegrate one, which had been off target regardless. Mira laughed, flicking back some of her hair with one hand as her shadow tendrils shot out toward the mage responsible for the spell.
“Eldon!” shouted Zoe. “Duck!”
He was quick about it, but still only barely cleared out of the way in time for Zoe’s spell to whip past his head. A blast of indistinct purple energy slammed into Harper’s spell shield. Harper countered with a fireball, which Lee once again dispelled. He sniffed, smelling and then tasting the unwelcome arrival of a vicious nosebleed.
The sound of shouting came farther down the corridor, past an open doorway, interspersed with metal banging against bars. The detainees were aware of their imminent rescue. Lee considered whether there was a way they could use that to his advantage as he dodged one of Harper’s punches. He reached for his gun, and then his knife, hesitating both times.
“Enough, Harper,” he shouted. “We aren’t going to back down. We’re saving the people here.”
“Saving them?” She pushed him in the chest, more as though to snap him out of a delusion than as a proper attack. “Have you any idea where you are? Or what the people you’re here to save have done?”
One of the mages pushed up on his right, slamming his palm forward in preparation for an elemental spell that Lee wasn’t interested in discovering the particulars of. He knocked the man’s arm upward with a block, saving himself from an icicle lance that sank half a foot into the ceiling.
“Let us out!” boomed a prisoner from the back hallway. “You’re fucking dead! We’ll kill all of you!”
“Bitch!” A guttural scream came from the same direction, even louder than the first voice. “Fucking whore!”
The shouts, the shaking of the bars, the craze
d laughter. It all seemed to reach Lee’s ears at the same time, giving context to Harper’s earlier words. Zoe was fighting beside him now, and they were losing, slowly stepping backward toward the lift they’d never be able to use quickly enough to escape.
“This is a prison!” shouted Harper. “There isn’t a single prisoner here who hasn’t killed multiple people through magical means.”
“Liar!” shouted Zoe. “Tell her, Eldon. You have information… the dream weaving.”
Lee felt a slow, horrific heat building through his chest and neck as he gave the memories he’d absorbed from the Order agent the overdue scrutiny they deserved. He’d never been inside before, never actually seen the inner workings, and his perspective had been one of an unrepentant rapist, colorblind to the kind of details that would have distinguished a prison from a detention center.
“The dream weaving is to keep them from killing each other!” snapped Harper. “You think it’s all so simple! It’s not, and it never was!”
“Less so now, I’d say,” said Mira.
Bizarrely, her voice came from behind Harper and the tightly packed Order mages. She held out her arms and started laughing as several silhouettes rushed past her, toward the lift.
CHAPTER 31
“No…” said Harper. “You released them!”
One of the prisoners leapt onto a mage and began savagely clawing at his face, aided by an alteration speed buff.
“Mira…” Lee stopped fighting, unsure of who to target.
“Perhaps they aren’t the innocents we came here to rescue, but I see no reason why they still can’t serve our purposes.” Mira seized a particularly unlucky prisoner as they tried to rush by and sank her fangs into their neck.
Harper and the mages were now fighting in both directions, a situation that quickly led to panic and confusion. The prisoners were spell-wielders in their own right, flinging fireballs and conjuring weapons of magical energy now they were free from the restrictions of their cells.
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