The Darkest Revenge

by D. K. Holmberg

  Haern clapped him on the shoulder. “You are strong enough.”

  Daniel glanced over as they reached the transition point between the rows of manor houses and the shops. When they did, a strange rumbling shook the street.

  “What was that?” Haern asked.

  Shadows swirled around them as Rayen constricted her control, tightening the shadows in a band that concealed them. Daniel looked at her, and she shrugged. “I don’t know what it is, but I’m not going to be caught unprepared.”

  They moved more slowly.

  “Be ready,” Galen said.

  “For what?”

  “For—”

  Daniel was thrown back, and he Slid, emerging on a nearby rooftop. He looked down to see Forgers attacking the others. There were two dozen, maybe more, and they stormed closer, power surging off them.

  How had they known where to find them?

  Could they have discovered the location of the Wisdom Stone?

  It didn’t seem likely, not with Carth there, not buried so deep in the earth as it was.

  Among the Forgers, one caught his attention.

  Lucy.

  44

  Haern

  Haern faced a Forger. The man appeared in front of him, and he pushed with his knives, sending them into the man before pulling them back. He didn’t have a chance to feel any remorse for his actions. Now that he had killed more than once, what choice did he have? And if they failed, if the Forgers managed to overpower them, what would they do?

  He didn’t like to think about it.

  He turned to another Forger, sending his knives into that one, pulling them back. The man fell, and he turned and pushed.

  The knives stopped, hovering in midair.

  The Forger smiled at him. “Did you think you were the only one with such a talent?” he sneered.

  He continued to push, straining, and could feel action all around him.

  Where was Galen? What about the Binders?

  No one would come to rescue him. They were all caught up in fights of their own.

  His father wouldn’t struggle with this, but then, his father had been captured, and Haern had been the one to rescue him. Even without any real significant abilities other than Sight and his connection to lorcith, he had been the one to discover what had happened to his father, and he was the one who had helped save him.

  He didn’t need his father’s abilities.

  For some reason, that thought was freeing.

  Haern pushed.

  The Forger lost control over the knives, and they carved through him. When they struck, Haern pulled them back, drawing them to him. Somewhere nearby, Galen wrestled a man to the ground, jabbing a dart into his side. Rayen wrapped shadows around two, and two others near her struggled with their eyes wide. It looked as if they were suffocating, but from what? It took a moment for him to realize Rayen used shadows to suffocate them.

  Haern forced his gaze away, not wanting to watch as they died.

  Two Forgers appeared in front of him, and he split his focus, focusing on each of the knives separately. Had he not spent so much time around Galen, fidgeting with the knives, he might not have been able to do it. When he had tried to do so when the Forgers had first attacked, he had failed. Now, he sent the knives shooting away from him, angling toward each of the men. They were struck in the chest and went down.

  Haern didn’t wait and pulled them back.

  Through the shadows, another Forger appeared.

  Haern almost lost control of his knives.

  “Lucy?”

  There was no sign of recognition in her eyes. Nothing.

  “Lucy. It’s Haern. We want to help you.”

  She Slid toward him, and were it not for his ability to See the faint shimmering when she emerged, he would have been surprised. He ducked, barely missing her attack.

  He couldn’t hurt her as he had the other Forgers. This was Lucy.

  “Galen!”

  He needed to sedate Lucy, but how?

  The attack continued. Rayen pulled Forgers off to one side, and the Binders continued to fight, leaving him alone with Lucy.

  She Slid, coming at him, and again Haern ducked, barely missing her attack.

  This wasn’t her. She wasn’t in control of herself, but he still needed to figure out some way of getting to her.

  “Lucy. It’s Haern. Please, don’t do this. I just want to help.”

  She Slid, and when she emerged, she slammed her fist into his chest. Haern staggered back.

  Almost too late, he realized she held one of the slender rods, the Forger weapon.

  She brought it back, sweeping it toward him, and Haern rolled out of the way, kicking up to his feet and swinging his leg around to sweep beneath her legs.

  She Slid.

  She emerged near Galen, slamming into his back, and he went stumbling forward. Her rod jammed into his back. Galen twitched before no longer moving.

  Haern was frozen.

  She Slid toward Rayen, catching her in the back before Rayen was even aware that she was there. The other woman staggered forward, falling to the cobblestones. Binders swarmed at Lucy, but with her ability to Slide, they could do nothing.

  “She really is impressive,” a voice said.

  Haern jerked around. It was the Forger they had captured and who had now escaped.

  “You?”

  “Yes, I’m partly responsible for this one. She has been my project. My plan. Your kind are far too easy to control, especially when your abilities are overwhelmed. All I needed was someone with a potent ability to Read, and I knew they would be even more pliable.”

  “You… you planned it?”

  “Not at first, but when Lareth was captured, we needed some way of ensuring our safety. We didn’t know what Alera had planned but knew that she would come up with something. Why not use one of Lareth’s own people against him?”

  “Why?”

  “You can’t understand what we’ve gone through.”

  “I can understand. I’ve—”

  A flicker of movement caught his attention, and Haern jerked around, pushing on a knife. It sank into the chest of a nearby Forger, and he spun around, looking for the Forger who had taunted him.

  The man remained a dozen paces away. He watched Haern.

  “I hadn’t expected to be captured, but you made a mistake in holding me as long as you did. Others would always have found me. That’s something your kind will never understand. We are connected.”

  “The Forgers or the Ai’thol?”

  The man’s eyes narrowed. “Is there a difference?”

  Haern pushed on one of his knives, and the Forger Slid, emerging in front of him. He sneered at him.

  Stumbling back, Haern barely managed to get away. He tripped and fell next to Galen.

  The Forger stood over him.

  “Where is it?”

  “Where is what?”

  “The Wisdom Stone. I know she went after it. She Read it.”

  “If she Read it, then she will know where it is.”

  “She was unable to acquire that information.”

  Haern glanced over to Lucy. She continued to battle Binders, knocking them down.

  They would have to hurt her to stop her. He hated that idea, but what choice did they have? And yet, if she hadn’t told them where the Wisdom Stone could be found, it meant Lucy still hadn’t been fully turned.

  Could they save her?

  He reached for Galen’s pouch.

  The Forger came at him, and Haern spun, flicking one of the darts he’d managed to grab. He didn’t know which one it was, or even if it mattered. Any of them would be enough to stop the Forgers.

  It sank into the man’s stomach. His eyes widened for a moment, and then he screamed. With a shimmer, he Slid away.

  Haern rolled to the side, grabbing for more of Galen’s darts.

  Lucy continued to make her way through the Binders. He wouldn’t have any choice. He would have to attack. />
  45

  Daniel

  Daniel Slid down to the street, emerging next to Lucy. She swung the strange Forger rod, and he Slid out of the way. The street was littered with the injured, possibly dying. Some of them were Forgers, but nearly as many were Binders, along with Galen and Rayen.

  He tried not to think about what it would mean if Galen was gone. Cael Elvraeth would be angry, and would she send people out of Elaeavn in her rage? What would Carth do at the loss of Rayen?

  “Lucy. Please don’t do this.”

  She spun toward him, and the rage in her deep green eyes took him aback. She Slid, and he barely reacted in time, Sliding back a step. When he emerged, she was there already.

  “I can help you. All we have to do is find the bracelets, and we can limit what they’ve done to you.”

  Lucy said nothing, stalking toward him.

  There was a dangerous rage to her. She was a formidable Forger, much more so than any of the other Forgers they had faced.

  What could he do to stop her?

  It wasn’t about hurting her. He was thankful that Haern had shown restraint. They needed to have restraint. Stopping her was the only way they could get her help.

  If only Rayen would get up. Or Galen. Or any of the Binders—anyone with power.

  Even Carth. Why had she stayed behind? He’d seen how strong she was. Even weakened and near death, she had still managed to push out with significant power, somehow finding it within herself to resist, and through that, she had stopped Alera.

  Only… she hadn’t.

  Alera had Slid into the cell, and it had been Haern who had stopped her. When he had faced Alera, Carth had been defeated. Leaving him alone.

  They had experienced a kind of danger he had never thought he would face, and somehow they had come out on the other side of it.

  He would have to be the one to stop Lucy.

  And Lareth.

  They were the only two still standing.

  It might be luck as much as anything, but then again, luck was its own sort of power.

  Daniel Slid, emerging near Haern briefly. “We need to knock her out.”

  He Slid as Lucy approached, emerging away from her. He glanced over to Haern, who met his eye and nodded.

  If he could draw Lucy away, maybe Haern could use his lorcith knives. He didn’t want to kill Lucy, but a knife in her side might slow her. Maybe they could anchor her to the ground and then use one of Galen’s darts to knock her out.

  The idea of pinning her to the ground disgusted him, but what choice did they have?

  He Slid, and when he emerged, he saw Rayen lying motionless. Blood stained her clothing. He shook away that image. If anyone still lived, they needed to survive this first.

  Sliding and emerging again, he came near Haern.

  Lucy approached. Haern tried to fling a dart, but Lucy Slid, avoiding it.

  There might not be any way of stopping her. She was a much more powerful Slider now that she had the strange enhancement, and with her ability to Read, she might be able to overpower any barriers he had in place. She might know what he planned to do before he did it.

  There might be a way… but it would involve a sacrifice.

  “Be ready,” he yelled to Haern.

  Daniel Slid and came in front of her, drawing her attention. She stormed close to him and swung her rod. It struck him on the side, and pain burned through him. She started to pull back, and Daniel swung his arms around her, holding her in an embrace. There was a time when he had wanted a different embrace, but this would have to do.

  Would Haern be fast enough?

  “I’m sorry,” he said to Lucy.

  She attempted to Slide, but he fought.

  He had never tried something like this before, but it made sense that attempting to oppose her Slide using one of his own might hold her in place. She was stronger, so he expected her to win eventually, but he didn’t need to hold her for long. Only long enough to allow Haern’s dart to reach her.

  Lucy gasped softly.

  She twitched, and then she sagged.

  Daniel sagged down with her. Pain burned through his chest where she’d struck him, and he worried that she had placed some sort of implant in him, and that he would be controlled in the same way that she had been.

  “What were you thinking?” Haern demanded, storming toward him.

  “The only thing I could think of,” Daniel said. Everything hurt, and he didn’t know how much time he had left. Probably not long. “How long will she be out?”

  “I don’t know. It depends on whether I killed her or sedated her.”

  Daniel rolled onto his back, staring up at the sky. Everything was a blur. “You don’t know?”

  “I think it’s a sedative, but Galen’s organization is such that I don’t really know.” He touched Daniel. “You did it. We did it.”

  “I’m sorry I won’t return with you.” Surprisingly, he was sorry. He’d been wrong about Haern. About so many things.

  “Don’t say that.”

  “She got me,” he said. “At least we managed to stop them. We did it. Not any of the others. It was us.” Daniel tried reaching for Haern but wasn’t sure what he was grabbing. Everything was starting to blur together, and the pain was overwhelming.

  “Just hang on. We’ll get you a Healer.”

  “Where will we find a Healer in Asador? Even if we were in Elaeavn, I’m not sure it would be enough.”

  He started to fade, and a hand squeezed his. “Rest.”

  Daniel breathed out. His eyes fluttered shut. And he was gone.

  46

  Haern

  Haern sat in the middle of the street, helplessly watching Daniel bleed out. As much as they had disagreed over the years, Daniel had helped him find his father. He didn’t deserve to die like this. Shadows circled around him, and a shimmer swirled for a moment and then Carth flickered into place.

  “Is it over?”

  “It is, but look at this. Look at how many have died.”

  Carth took his hand and patted it. “Not all of these have died.”

  “There’s nothing that I can do to save them.”

  “It’s not up to you to save them.”

  “We don’t have any Healers.”

  Carth squeezed her fist, and she pressed one hand on Daniel. A faint purple light traced around her hand, and Daniel gasped.

  “What did you do?”

  “Only what was needed,” Carth said.

  “The Wisdom Stone?”

  She opened her hand. The stone rested in her palm. “Somehow, I knew the battle was over. I don’t know how. I’ve never had that ability before, but I knew it.”

  “From holding the stone.”

  “Possibly. I’ve been around Elder Stones before. They change things.”

  “What sort of things?”

  “Many things. In this case, it has changed my connection.”

  “And now you’re able to heal Daniel?”

  “I’ve always been able to use my abilities to heal myself, and somehow the stone allowed me the understanding of what I needed to do to use them on others.”

  Carth Slid. The knowledge she gained from the stone must have shown her that, too. He hadn’t questioned how she had Slid before, but considering how powerful she was already, it wasn’t terribly surprising that she had that ability. She checked on Galen next, and a wave of healing power surged from her, washing over him. She made her way to another and did the same. As she worked from person to person, she occasionally paused longer, and once in a while, she let out a soft moan before moving on. Could that mean there were some she wasn’t able to help?

  Finally, she stopped in front of Lucy. She touched the back of her head, and Haern saw where the metal had gone in. It was burrowed in there, and Carth ran her hand along it, her lips moving soundlessly. With a gasp, Lucy woke.

  “Haern?”

  He smiled. “Lucy.”

  “What happened? The last thing I remember,
I was—” She seemed to realize that Carth was there, and she scooted back, moving away, terrified.

  “It’s okay, Lucy. She helped us. She helped you.”

  “She’s the one we’re supposed to fear.”

  “She’s the one who helped us,” he said.

  Lucy looked around, her eyes wide. “I… I have memories.” She reached for the back of her head, and Carth tried to stop her.

  “I wasn’t able to remove it,” Carth said.

  “I thought you could heal her,” Haern said.

  “There are limits, even with this knowledge. Whatever has been done to her is beyond me.”

  “Can my father remove it?” His connection to metal was enough that he should be able to, shouldn’t he?

  “Not without destroying her. She’s going to have to begin to understand it. Control it. And she’s going to have to find a way of keeping the Ai’thol from using her.”

  “What are the—”

  Daniel started to stir and cut her off, and when he sat up, he blinked, rubbing his hand over his chest before looking over to Lucy, his eyes wide. “Lucy. Don’t attack.”

  Lucy watched him, and there was an expression on her face that had never been there before when looking at Daniel, one that pained Haern. “I won’t attack. I—I’m sorry that I hurt you.”

  Daniel glanced from Haern to Carth and then back to Lucy. “What happened?”

  “It’s over for now,” Carth said.

  “Over?” Lucy asked. “What about your father?” she asked Haern. “They were using him, or someone like him, making it look like Rsiran was attacking. They were trying to draw him out.” Pain flashed in her eyes, and Haern wondered what she had seen.

  There came a sudden burst of shimmering light, and Rsiran emerged. He looked weak, and his eyes had a haunted expression, but when he saw Haern, he smiled with a warmth Haern didn’t remember his father ever having before. “Haern. There you are.”

  “You knew I was here?”

  “I could hear everything. I was aware the whole time, I just couldn’t move.”

  Haern’s breath caught. What kind of torment must that have been, to be able to hear but not speak?