Outlaws

by David Aries

  Seriously, hurry it up. Do something. Where’re the manual controls?

  There was no finding those, imaginary menace of mine. This was all on me. Yet another fuck up. I’d failed to rescue Blair and dropped myself in the shit. A decade later and I was still letting everyone down.

  “Let me go!” somebody yelled.

  “Restrain her!”

  “Jake! Get up!”

  Her voice cut through my clouded mind. Funny, it sounded like Titania. My eyes, no longer showing quadruple, showed me a manhandled woman who was the spitting image of her.

  My cobwebs cleared. Two and two came together. What had I been doing? Blair was gone yet there was still somebody who needed my help. It was too early to surrender.

  A guard approached, carrying a collar. I sprayed her with my dragon breath.

  My captors recoiled. I burst into life, throwing them off. I wasn’t so easy to restrain when my spirit was burning.

  This is more like it! Don’t scare me like that.

  Noted. Still, I was less bothered about my inner demon and more about the petite orc in trouble. I charged the guards and kicked the bastard restraining her.

  “About time,” Titania said.

  “Sorry for the wait,” I replied.

  “You better be. Look at this shit.” All the guards we’d bypassed had caught up and joined in the fun. We were surrounded by a layered ring. Not that being outnumbered was anything new.

  “Who cares about the odds?” I said, infusing myself with demonic strength. “Ten, twenty, a hundred, a thousand. I ain’t dying here.”

  “Good. Neither am I.”

  My words were filled with idiotic determination, but I knew full well that a fight did us no good. We had nothing to gain and everything to lose. The best thing we could do was break out as quick as possible.

  I knocked through the first guard with a thumping punch, but his allies dropped in to cover his spot. They didn’t let me make it to the second line.

  The circle closed from behind, aiming for Titania. She could fight, but the fact she was unarmed didn’t change. Her opponents were armed knights. They were a different threat to the untrained scrubs in The Oath. Not that Titania seemed to notice. She valiantly battled anybody stupid enough to try their luck.

  I concentrated on powering through the dense formation. Another punch shifted them around but created nothing. And that was the way things continued. Every weak spot I created, they patched. They were like a hydra. For every guard I knocked down, three more took their place.

  Despite their huge numerical advantage, they hesitated to counter. I was an unknown quantity. Only an idiot wouldn’t treat me with caution. Their attack was focused on Titania.

  That would only protect me for so long.

  My frustrations grew as their numbers never seemed to change. That was the power of Grabadon’s guards. When fused into a well-oiled machine they were a difficult nut to crack. Piercing through was a bust. Our only other option was over. It was a risk. My demon jump had a slight charge. They’d strike before I could pull it off.

  “Let us through,” I roared, shooting my flames.

  They closed up their shields and took the hit. The rear guards emerged, aiming around the inferno.

  I snapped shut and roundhouse kicked. All I hit was air.

  It’d happened. The assessment period was over. They’d graded my threat level and decided to ramp up the aggression. Titania got the same treatment. She’d covered my arse better than she had any right to but she couldn’t handle a barrage.

  My straightforward attack became a desperate defense. I batted razor-sharp metal away with my burning fists. After all that training, I was being overwhelmed by people. So much for me being some great fighter. I couldn’t protect Blair or Titania. Demons were out of my league.

  Gunfire rained from above. The guards shifted their shields to block the assault.

  Grabadon’s soldiers didn’t use firearms. As far as I knew, there was only one shooter left in the city. She’d arrived in the nick of time.

  “Titania,” I said, grabbing her. Esther’s distraction was enough. I demon jumped, throwing Titania and I into the air. We soared high enough to spot our familiar catgirl savior.

  “Go!” she ordered, covering for us.

  That was the plan.

  We landed on solid ground, rather than a luxury rooftop, outside the guard’s restrictive circle.

  “Don’t let them escape!” one of them yelled, starting the chase.

  “This way!” Titania said, dragging me into the closest alley.

  The guards weren’t far behind. Esther’s support continued, but it wasn’t enough to stop our pursuers. They held their shields over their heads and ran after us.

  A wall of ice sprouted from the ground, doing what bullets could not. It covered the street’s entrance a moment before the guards entered.

  My jaw dropped. No fucking way.

  “You’re welcome, darlings,” Dessa giggled, leaning against a wall with the casual aura of someone who hadn’t just impeded every guard in the Common District. “Did you really think we’d let you fight alone?”

  I grinned, dragging Dessa along for the ride. That ice wouldn’t hold them forever. It was in our best interest to vanish before that happened.

  We rushed into Grabadon’s labyrinthine slums so we could fight again another day.

  Chapter 15

  Adrenaline pumped through my veins. Escaping from a close call felt insanely good. As did getting one over on those who wanted our heads.

  When I returned to the club, I realized my mistake. We hadn’t won a damn thing.

  Diarmuid’s hopeful expression shattered upon discovering the result of our foray. We’d failed him and Blair.

  To me, Blair was a sweet girl I’d known for a very short while. To Diarmuid, she was his precious daughter. To Titania, she was a cherished best friend. My regret couldn’t compare to their devastation.

  “Why?” Titania growled. “How the fuck did this happen?” She grabbed Diarmuid’s collar and yanked him off his stool. “What did you do, geezer?!”

  “Calm down,” I said, pulling Titania back.

  “Dammit, lemme go!” she barked, throwing her weight from side to side. “Answer me! Why?!”

  “Have some damn tact.”

  “How can I?! Blair is…” Overwhelmed anger turned to sorrow. Tears rolled down her green cheeks.

  I hesitated, weakening my grip.

  “She’s right to be mad, laddie,” Diarmuid said. He’d slumped to the floor and hadn’t made an effort to get up. “I should’ve stopped them. What sorta father lets them take his little girl?”

  “Nothing you could have done,” Gall said, dragging Diarmuid to his feet. “Don’t blame yourself.”

  “How can I not?”

  “You know how this bleeding city works. They’re nobles. We’re nobodies. We live according to their whims.”

  “That’s no excuse,” Diarmuid said, thumping the bar. “She’s my baby. Protecting her’s my job. And I failed.”

  “No, it’s my job,” Titania sniffled. “I couldn’t do a thing. All my big talk and I didn’t do shit.”

  “Neither of you are at fault,” I said. “It was me. I got her into this mess. They came because I punched Frederic, didn’t they?”

  Diarmuid looked away. “Aye, lad. He stopped coming after you clocked him. Scared him shitless, I reckon. Thought we were in the clear, I did. Then his dogs came. Said we were culpable for what happened. Dropped me a fine I never could have paid. They’d have taken everything and more. That’s when Blair stepped in. Offered herself as payment. They accepted without hesitation. The bastard’s plan all along.” Diarmuid dropped his head into his hands. “I begged her not to do it, but she wouldn’t listen. Went with a smile on her face.”

  My heart tightened. I knew it. I hadn’t helped a damn thing. I’d put a bow around Blair and delivered her to Frederic on a silver platter. It was as Sophie warned. The nobles a
lways got what they wanted. All I’d done was speed up the process.

  “Don’t blame yourself, lad,” Diarmuid mumbled. “This was decided long before you got here. You didn’t change a damn thing.”

  His lies didn’t cheer me up.

  Once Esther returned from her covering duties, she tried her best to lift the mood. It was an utter failure. Kind words weren’t enough to dispel our misery. Nor would they bring Blair back.

  A demanding knock interrupted our grieving.

  “Hide,” Gall ordered. She didn’t even check to see who it was.

  Five of us sardined into the underfloor hiding spot. Titania and I were the only ones with bounties but we took no chances. I wasn’t the only one with a bad feeling.

  Gall answered the door. “Maggie.” This time, even she couldn’t hide her contempt.

  I tensed, muffling a growl. Of all the times for Magnesia to show herself. After what her guards had done.

  Titania’s breathing turned erratic. If I was mad, she was incensed. A show of apocalyptic rage would have been understandable.

  “Calm down,” Esther whispered.

  The orc’s anger cooled to a manageable level of wrath but we were still in a precarious position.

  “Hello, Gallia,” Magnesia responded. “You don’t sound pleased to see me.”

  “Must be your imagination. I’m always happy to see my adorable little sister. Finally here for that drink?”

  “This isn’t a social visit. I come with a message for my traitorous daughter and her male accomplice.”

  “What am I, the postie?”

  Magnesia scoffed. “Say what you will. I have a feeling it’ll reach them.”

  “I keep telling you, but if you wanna waste your time, go ahead. You know how much I love gossip.”

  “Then I’m sure you’ll love this. His Majesty is offering my child a trade. The arachni girl for the young man.”

  A collective gasp echoed around our compact chamber.

  “Is this a joke?” Gall said, speaking for us all.

  “Do I look like a clown?” Magnesia said. “His Majesty has made his stance clear. He will allow the arachni girl to return to her home in exchange for the male.”

  I tensed up. If Magnesia was telling the truth it was my chance to undo my mistake and save Blair.

  “That how you catch crooks these days?” Gall quizzed.

  “This is a unique and very generous offer. He hardly need fear. His Majesty has taken a great interest in him and is prepared to guarantee his life. And I know how precious that arachni child is to mine.”

  “I’m surprised you know that.”

  There was a slight pause before Magnesia continued. “I’ll wait outside for twenty minutes. If the male emerges before then we’ll make the trade and all other crimes will be pardoned.”

  “You’re wasting your time.”

  “Perhaps. We’ll see. Twenty minutes. That’s all I’ll give.” The door creaked but didn’t quite shut. Magnesia lingered. “I advise you take this chance if you want to save your precious friend. Lord Frederic is hosting a banquet tonight to celebrate his newest acquisition. You know what comes after that and I believe you’d rather avoid it. Unless, of course, you feel like betraying someone else close to you.”

  The door slammed shut, plunging the club into silence. Even though the coast was clear, none of us said a thing until Gall freed us from the darkness.

  “How soundproof was that floor again?” Gall said, wearing a wry smile.

  “Was she serious?” I said, jumping out of the pit. “Me for Blair?”

  “Don’t even think about it,” Esther warned, following me.

  “But it’s perfect.”

  “Sacrificing yourself?”

  “I’m not gonna die,” I said.

  “Neither’s Blair. We still wanna bring her home. What good’s saving her if we lose you?”

  “It’s my fault she’s there,” I reminded Esther. “It’s my responsibility to get her back.”

  “By trading yourself?!”

  “If that’s what I need to do.”

  “You… how can you say that?” Esther grasped my arms, pinning me in place. Her emotional, brown eyes smothered me. “What about us? Do we mean nothing? Were all those promises meaningless?”

  I bit my lip and shied away from her gaze. “Of course not. But I gotta make this right. I can’t let Blair suffer because of my mistakes.”

  “No. I won’t let you!”

  “I’m also against it,” Dessa said. “You’re my darling boy. I have no desire to hand you to some wretched rabble-rousers.”

  “Same,” Gall said, raising a hand. “I don’t trust them for one sec. This whole thing is madness.”

  “You all crazy?” Titania gasped. “He’s begging to do it. I say we let him.”

  “You can’t be serious,” Esther said.

  “Why not? You heard her. They’ll give us Blair. We can save her.”

  “And lose Jake.”

  Titania grumbled. “He’s a big boy. He can make his own decisions.”

  “As can Blair.”

  “She didn’t have a choice!”

  “And Jake does? This is exactly the same!”

  “Esther, it’s okay. Really,” I said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t mind. It’s what needs to be done.”

  She batted my hand away. “I mind. We mind. We don’t want to lose you. Why won’t you understand?” Her tears bubbled out, streaming down her face.

  I couldn’t look. My conviction was crumbling. Of course, I understood. At the same time, I had to do it. I couldn’t let anyone else suffer because of my ineptitude.

  “Don’t act like you’re the majority,” Titania said. “It’s three against three.”

  “Nay, lass. It ain’t,” Diarmuid said, voice drained of its strength. He hadn’t even lifted himself out of the pit.

  “The fuck are you talking about? Yes, it is.”

  Diarmuid shook his head. “Nay. I can’t agree to this.”

  “Are you crazy?! Blair. They’ll give us Blair.”

  “I know!” he yelled. “I know, but… I can’t make him do it.” Diarmuid’s masculine voice cracked. “If he went out there and brought her home, I wouldn’t complain. I’d be the happiest darn dwarf in the world. But I can’t beg him to go. The lad’s got nothing to make right. This ain’t his fault. It’s mine.”

  “We went over this,” I said.

  “Aye, and you plumb ignored me. You may have given that bastard a nudge but you didn’t change how things were gonna end. This was always gonna happen. I knew it from the start yet I didn’t do a thing. Buried my head in the furnace and hoped things would work out.” Diarmuid sighed and slumped his head back. “To tell you the truth, I was ecstatic when you decked him. Thought you’d ended all my troubles.”

  “You should have known better,” Gall said.

  Diarmuid nodded. “It’s because I was running when I should’ve been doing my job. I’m her father. Protecting her’s on me. And what did I do? Not a thing. We could have fled or hid. Instead, nothing. All I did was pass the buck. Even when they snatched her, I ran straight here. It’s pathetic. I’m pathetic. I failed Blair. Me alone. Now Jake’s gonna take the fall? I can’t stoop so low, not even for my little girl. She’d never forgive me. Would fight to have it reversed, I reckon.” He winced, gripping his heart. “I want her back more than anything but this isn’t right. Blair wouldn’t accept this. Nor can I.”

  “You… I can’t fucking believe you,” Titania growled. “You’re gonna abandon Blair?!”

  “Of course not!” Diarmuid struggled to his feet and stared back. Moments earlier, he’d seemed defeated. The embers of determination lit up his old eyes. “I’ll never give up on my baby. Even if it takes the rest of my days, I’ll find a way to bring her home. The right way. One that doesn’t subject others to this pain.”

  “Forget right. Don’t you know what’s happening tonight?!”

  “Aye,” h
e muttered. “If only there was another way. I know she’d never accept this but I don’t want her to experience that. My sweet baby girl doesn’t deserve that fate.”

  I was stunned. If anybody wasn’t they had a heart of stone. It made me twice as desperate to reunite the pair yet paralyzed to act.

  Titania tried to say something, but she tripped over every word.

  Esther wrapped an arm around Titania. “We all want Blair back. Me included. But not at this price. None of us want to lose Jake. Even you.”

  “Of course I don’t,” Titania grumbled. “But, Blair. She doesn’t deserve this. I wanna bring her home. I wanna say sorry for being a crummy friend. I wanna see her again.”

  That looped arm became a full embrace. “I know, sweetie.”

  Titania crumbled, taking my final ally. There was nothing more I could say. I’d been outvoted. I wasn’t even sure if I’d picked the right side to start with. If anything, there was no right answer. Whatever we decided, it was our loss. The house always wins.

  With a decision reached, the conversation dried up. A consensus didn’t equal happiness. Misery lingered as we ran down the clock.

  “It’s been twenty minutes,” Esther announced.

  “Is this really okay?” I asked.

  She nodded. Nobody disagreed. Pain showed on their faces but they held their tongues. Their strength was commendable.

  If only I’d had it a decade earlier.

  Bang. The club’s main entrance exploded open. Guards rushed inside.

  A metal screen dropped from the ceiling, closing off the entranceway and blocking the intruders.

  “Cellar, now!” Gall barked.

  Our core foursome rushed into the basement.

  “What’s going on?” I said. Everything had happened too fast.

  “A raid,” Esther responded. “They aren’t taking no for an answer.”

  Dessa opened the secret room. It wasn’t so we could hide. At last, a reason to use the escape hatch that wouldn’t earn us a bollocking.

  I guided Titania and Dessa into the sewers. Esther was next, but she didn’t arrive. She lurked outside the room.

  “Go,” Esther said. “I’ll hold them off. We’ll regroup at Sophie’s.” She closed me inside.

  I growled. And who’d made a big deal about me sacrificing myself?