Bulletproof Witch

by F J Blair

  “Clarabelle! What in the Three do you think you’re doing?” Benjamin appeared at Temperance’s shoulder and tried squeezing past her into the kitchen.

  “Don’t come any closer!” the girl screamed. She pressed the knife in further. “He told me to cut my throat if you got too close!”

  “Who told you, Clarabelle?” Even as she asked, Temperance realized the answer. A cold sweat traced a finger along her back. She holstered her revolver. Ordinary bullets wouldn’t be of much use, not for this situation.

  “I . . . I don’t know his name. I got up to visit the outhouse, and when I was done he was waiting for me. He bit my neck and . . . there was this voice in my head. It told me to come back in here and find a knife.”

  She’s enthralled. That confirmed Temperance’s suspicions.

  “Now he’s saying . . . what? I don’t understand. He’s saying we need to send someone named Willabeatha to him. Alone.”

  “Willabeatha?”

  “He is referring to me.” Temperance turned at the sound of William’s voice. The boy’s face looked hard-set, as if this turn of events did not surprise him in the least. “It was my name in Isterial.”

  “So Lucius came for you, after all. Seems like he’s being more careful this time, too.”

  “Yes, he will keep his distance, I am certain. I will go gather my things.”

  William’s matter-of-fact decision caught Temperance by surprise. She glanced back at Clarabelle, then leaned in close.

  “You aren’t thinking of actually going to him, are you?” she asked in a low whisper.

  “I will not let this girl or her family suffer on my account. Her actions are not her own.”

  “Let me at least sneak out there too, then. I’ll climb out a window or something.”

  She started to back up, and Clarabelle screamed again. “Don’t move, Miss Whiteoak! He’s telling me that you have to stay here in the kitchen.”

  “Fine, fine, I’m not moving.” Temperance held up her hands. She turned to William.

  “I will go. Once we are far enough away, his grasp on Miss Dunpeal should loosen.” William turned to the farmer, who was hovering in the hallway shooting concerned glances at the two of them. “I am sorry that my personal affairs have placed your family in danger. I hope you can forgive me.”

  “Well, I don’t right understand what’s going on here, seems like Pistol Warlock business if I ever heard of it. You say my girl will be alright if you go outside?”

  “Yes. Lucius is a monster, but he will release your daughter if I ask him.”

  Temperance caught the boy’s arm as he started for the stairs. “Soon as I can, I’ll come after you. I swear on my guns that he won’t take you back to Isterial.”

  “Do not worry about me.” William gave her a sad smile. “I knew I had little chance to escape Lucius from the very beginning. You have simply put off the inevitable. My time in Korvana was short, but it was the best life I have known. Here, at least for a little while, I was truly free.”

  She watched the boy ascend the stairs. A few minutes later he returned with his enchanted bag and slipped past her into the kitchen. Clarabelle let out a squeak as he drew near, hand clenching around the knife. William moved around her to the door, then paused, hand resting on the knob.

  “Thank you, Mister Dunpeal, for allowing me into your home. I hope you will not think less of me for what happened tonight.” He glanced at Temperance and looked as if he were about to say something. Then his expression darkened, and he stepped outside. The door closed behind him with an audible click.

  Morning was slow to arrive, and when light started creeping through cracks in the shutters it found Temperance still standing in the kitchen doorway, cold and stiff and tired. The only saving grace was that the wait had given her plenty of time to think, and now she had a reasonable plan in her head.

  Any plan, however, first meant finding William again, preferably before he boarded the upyr’s boat. While the coast was several days of hard travel away for most people, Lucius had proven capable of moving quickly, even with only the nighttime hours in which to do so. The only question was if he could still manage it now that he had William in tow.

  Won’t know until I’ve turned up the trail, I suppose. Everything depends on that.

  As the wisps of daylight reached Clarabelle, she gave a shuddering sigh. The knife tumbled from her fingers, and the girl sagged to the floor, a quiet sob bubbling from her lips.

  “I don’t hear his voice in my head any longer, praise the Three.” She gave another shudder. Her father rushed into the kitchen and placed his arms around her.

  “I’m alright, Papa.” Clarabelle patted his arm. Temperance slunk into the kitchen, the rest of the Dunpeal family on her heels. She watched as they sat the girl in a chair, her mother fetching a cup of water.

  “I’m sorry about the trouble, Mister Dunpeal. William had warned me something like this might happen, but I let my own confidence get in the way of my caution.”

  The farmer shook his head. “Don’t fret about it, no one got hurt, and you’ve still done more good for this family than harm. We don’t forget a thing like that so easily.”

  Temperance smiled, then hardened her expression. “I know I don’t have a right to burden you further, but might I ask for another favor?”

  “Oh? What’s that?”

  “I was hoping to buy a few things off you. Horses, mainly.”

  “Horses?” Benjamin furrowed his brow at her. “You mean to go after the boy.”

  It wasn’t a question, but Temperance nodded anyway. “I do. Whatever his faults, he doesn’t deserve the fate waiting for him in that creature’s hands.”

  Besides, now that I know someone can fix Grandpa’s jacket, I can’t just leave the job half-finished. She felt guilty over the selfishness of that thought, but pushed the emotion aside. There was too much at stake, and if she was to have any hope of rescuing Astor and getting back to hunting after Varconis, she would need every advantage she could lay her hands on.

  Benjamin mulled her comment over a minute. Then he nodded. “Take those two horses you nicked from Whittaker’s gang, with my blessing. Just promise you’ll make the daemon-cursed creature that did this to my girl pay.”

  “You have my word as a Whiteoak.” Temperance hesitated, then added, “I also need one other thing. Ixtl slime. As much of it as you can spare.”

  “Ixtl slime? You planning to blow something up? It won’t work like that without being refined, and I haven’t got anything but the raw powder.”

  “No explosions, the raw stuff will do just fine.”

  “Alright. You go gather your things, and I’ll get the horses ready. I got an old saddle you can borrow, plus a pack for the other that should hold a small barrel. You need anything else? More rounds for those revolvers of yours, maybe?”

  Temperance cracked a smile at that. “Nope, unless you’re hiding some hexbullets I don’t know about.”

  “Hah, wouldn’t that be a sight? Me, a Pistol Warlock.” Benjamin shook his head, and stomped out the door. By the time he returned leading the two bandit horses, Temperance was waiting outside, another bag packed with food. Esther handed her a loaf of bread, then waved from the front porch.

  “You be safe out there now, you hear?”

  “I will, Missus Dunpeal. Thanks for the hospitality.”

  As Temperance rode off, she couldn’t help but chuckle at the farm wife’s parting words. Safe? Hell, it’s been so long since I was anything close to safe I don’t even remember the feel of it anymore. Just as well, though, I’m not made for safe living. Wouldn’t know what to do with myself in such a world.

  At least when life is dangerous, I know I’m headed in the right direction.

  Chapter Thirteen

  William’s footprints led to the outhouse where they met a second pair. The prints danced about in the soft spring dirt, mixing with those of the Dunpeal family, but eventually Temperance picked up the trail again, headin
g south and slightly east.

  Hours passed, and the open plains crept along beneath the horses’ hooves. The grass was lush and deep green this time of year, interspersed with small honeysuckle bushes tipped in white flowers, the aroma pungent whenever she passed close.

  Once, an orak herd crossed her path and Temperance had to skirt around them, losing valuable time while she picked up the trail again. She found it at last, a single set of footsteps leading to an outcrop of stones the color of rust. Near the center a second set of footsteps joined the first, and the signs of a scuffle lay bare amid the broken stones and overturned soil.

  Did William try to make a run for it? Temperance frowned as she studied the markings. He had to know he wouldn’t get far. What brought on that decision?

  Curiosity driving her, she followed the second set of prints back. They ended beside a dead orak lying amid the honeysuckle. Temperance dismounted for a closer look.

  The animal appeared to have died from a broken neck, but that wasn’t all. There were also two large puncture marks, much too small for knife work. The orak’s body had a deflated look to it, and when she placed a hand on its side the skin was rough and leathery, as if it had been baking in the hot sun for weeks, or even months. Her knife cut through easy enough, and inside the animal’s organs were dried and shriveled.

  Temperance mounted back up, an uncomfortable shiver running through her. William warned me these upyr drank blood, I suppose. Guess I know how Lucius has been keeping his strength up.

  Another hour down the trail, and the landscape shifted again. The soil grew spongy, the bushes and grass appearing limp and bedraggled. Temperance watched for signs of redgrass, spotting a patch in the distance.

  I must be near the lower end of that field from before. Ocean can’t be too far away.

  She kept expecting the upyr’s trail to turn south, but it never did. Whatever Lucius was up to, it didn’t involve returning to his boat, at least not immediately.

  For perhaps the hundredth time since departing the Dunpeal farm, Temperance considered the wisdom of her actions. If Astor was here, he would surely have given her an earful about how ill-conceived and reckless it was for her to go after the boy like this. She had no weapons to speak of and was fighting an enemy she barely understood. If the circumstances were different, she might even think about abandoning William to his fate. She had her own mission, and it was much bigger than the life of one boy from a country she’d never even heard of. But if she ever wanted to know more about what sigilry was capable of, then the Isterial boy was her best hope. With enough time, there was no telling what she might learn.

  At the very least, rescuing the boy meant more repairs to her coat. Temperance brushed her fingers along the buttons, feeling for the hidden clasps. She had learned so much about magick over the last few years, yet still felt as if she had just started scratching the surface. William could be the key to reaching the next level, for her to go far beyond anything James Whiteoak ever achieved.

  The tracks led down to the bank of a shallow river, where they disappeared. Temperance dismounted and studied the edge of the riverbank with a frown.

  Does he know I’m following them, or is he just being cautious? Either way, he picked a fine place to hide their trail. Rocks lining both sides of the banks and a hundred different places they might have climbed out on the other side. Could have gone a mile in either direction, easy. Heck, they could have doubled back. Or taken a boat from here to the ocean. Might as well look for a mouse in a corn maze.

  She crossed the stream and started making her way downriver. The horses’ hooves clattered on the river stones as Temperance scanned the embankment, looking for signs that someone had climbed up dragging a struggling prisoner.

  There was nothing but unbroken prairie grass above, so after a mile of searching she turned around and started over in the other direction. The sun was getting low, the air growing cooler. If she didn’t find where the upyr had holed up by nightfall, there was little chance she would ever see William again. Assuming the two of them weren’t back on the ship already.

  Gritting her teeth, she dismounted to refill her canteen. The water here ran clear and cool, the taste of it better than whiskey on her tongue. Had the weather and circumstances both been better, it might have been the perfect opportunity to stop for a swim.

  As she sealed the canteen, Temperance caught a flash of something between the rocks. She stooped down and pulled out a small stone, clear as glass and with a small red fleck at its center.

  Well don’t that beat all. I must have wandered back into the Three’s good graces somehow. Temperance glanced about and saw another of the source stones hidden beneath a tuft of grass by the embankment. She found a third lying in the dirt just out of sight of the river, as if it had been dropped in a hurry.

  Adding this one to the other two in her pocket, she surveyed the ground, and found where the upyr’s trail resumed. Clever boy, William. Hold on a little longer.

  It was almost dark when she came to the mouth of a cave, hidden behind a motte of willow trees. The sun had dipped lower behind the hills, but Temperance thought she still had time. She would have preferred to find the upyr’s nest sooner and have more time to prepare, but what was the use of wishing for something she couldn’t have?

  The cave didn’t appear that large, but Temperance couldn’t see more than a few feet inside. An urge to call out bubbled onto her lips, but she swallowed it down. If William was in there, he would just have to hold on a little longer.

  She dismounted and tied the horses to a willow tree. From the back of one she lifted the small barrel that Benjamin had gifted her, filled with ixtl slime crushed to a fine powder. It only took a moment to remove the lid with her knife, after which she set about spreading the slime in front of the entrance.

  Soon the work was complete. Temperance breathed deep and turned to the cave entrance again. No sense putting this off. I just hope that Lucius is still nervous enough around me that he doesn’t try rushing in for the kill, or this will be the shortest rescue mission of all time.

  The temperature dropped as she crossed the threshold. Despite that, the cave was dry and solid, and Temperance was unsurprised to see a few bones. Hopefully whatever animal called this place home had the sense to flee when the upyr appeared.

  A dozen yards in, Temperance spotted a slumped form near the back wall. It was William, curled into a ball with his knees tucked beneath his chin. His eyes were closed, and he let out a little shiver in his sleep. Someone had tied his hands and feet with a length of rope, but otherwise he appeared unharmed.

  Temperance glanced about but didn’t see any sign of Lucius. She dropped to her knees and gave the boy a light shake, placing a hand over his mouth. William’s eyes sprang open, a muffled noise slipping from his lips. He looked up at her, and his whole body sagged in relief.

  “Where’s Lucius?” she asked in a whisper.

  William didn’t speak, only pointed upwards. Temperance followed his finger and let out a low curse.

  The upyr hung from the ceiling fifteen feet or so above her head, bare feet dug into the rock like some strange nocturnal bird. He was so still Temperance could almost have taken him for a corpse.

  She turned back to William. “I’m going to cut these bonds, and then you run like Hell, you hear me? I’ve got some horses waiting outside, you don’t stop until you’ve got them between you and Lucius.”

  William nodded. Temperance withdrew her knife and slipped it between the coil of rope. The runes—or sigils, if William was right about that too—glowed so bright in the cave they almost hurt her eyes. With a few well-placed cuts the rope fell to pieces.

  “Now go!” she hissed.

  The boy jumped to his feet and dashed for the opening, moving as if daemons were on his tail. Temperance followed on his heels, skidding to a halt just outside of the cavern entrance. She spun about, sucked in a deep breath, and yelled out, “Hey, Lucius!”

  William had alread
y reached the horses. He stumbled and almost fell over, looking back at her with an expression that was equal parts horror and confusion. “Temperance? What are you doing?”

  “Sun’s almost down, and that creature will be awake soon. I intend to finish this here and now.”

  She stood in the small clearing and waited. From inside of the cave came several scraping noises, and then a piercing shriek.

  “You’d best unhitch those horses and move them away. We don’t need them spooking before this is over.” Temperance didn’t risk glancing back at the boy to see if he obeyed. She had eyes only for the black mouth of the cave.

  A shape slouched out of the darkness, resolving into the lanky man with the colorless hair she had seen in the ruins. He glanced at her almost dismissively, then past to where the horses were.

  “Faurdammjan, Willabeatha.” The words were quiet, yet the wind carried them past Temperance in a rush. She didn’t understand them, yet even she could hear the command layered within. It took all her strength not to freeze like a frightened antelope.

  William yelled back something that Temperance didn’t quite catch, but the effect on Lucius was immediate. His lips pulled back into a snarl, and he lunged forward, stopping just where the last rays of sunlight reached the cave’s opening. Temperance couldn’t help but smile.

  That’s right, you piece of scrum, William isn’t yours anymore. Best get used to the idea. Out loud, she said, “What’s the problem, Lucius? Come out and play already.”

  When the upyr didn’t respond, she slapped against her skirt with her free hand like she would for calling back an excitable dog. The beams of light on the ground had shrunk, little more than slits a finger wide now. She waited.

  The last of the light disappeared as twilight arrived. With a roar, Lucius launched himself from the cave.

  He still moved with an unnatural speed that was almost impossible for her eye to follow, but this time Temperance was ready. Fingers danced across her jacket, and with a satisfying lurch the ancient leather pushed her to one side, the upyr passing within inches.