Blood of the Guardian (41 page)

Kael gave one nod and looked away.

Tiohan motioned toward the table. “Set him on here.”

With a swipe of his arm, Nolan cleared the debris off the surface. Maska lifted him, his eyes flaring red as he tried to set him down. Emery’s body slipped, and Maska cursed under his breath. It was then when Nolan saw Maska’s right hand.

Three fingers were missing, cut off at an angle. Blood stained his sleeve, as well as coating his wrist and hand. What was left of his fingers had been healed, but Nolan could tell Maska struggled using them.

“Your hand,” Nolan said.

“At least I am alive,” Maska said. “She aimed for my throat.”

Jezebelle had to have used a lot of Strength to slice through Maska’s Strength-hardened muscles and bone. Several of the others in the room hadn’t had the same luck. Most of the Talasians’ necks were slit, as well as some Rol’dan soldiers’. The few remaining warriors, along with Rayen, were tending to their dead, which included the Talasian war commander.

“Are you certain, Captain?” Kael asked the older Rol’dan.

Tiohan gave one small nod.

“You’re a good man.”

“You are too, General. Though you’re too stubborn to let people know.”

Kael gave him a sad smile. “Please forgive me if I don’t stay. I … just can’t.”

Tiohan nodded. “Understood.”

Kael released Megan, and she ran to Emery’s side, taking one of his limp, pale hands in both of hers.

Kael strode toward the door, his posture erect.

“My General?” Tiohan asked.

Kael paused and turned his head, giving them his profile.

“I have a sister,” he said. “In Boden.”

“I will make certain she knows.”

The room cleared. Alec gave Nolan a look of apology before he darted from the room. Only Tiohan, Megan, and Nolan remained. Megan turned to Tiohan, her face wet with tears. She opened her mouth to speak.

“Shh, now, lass,” Tiohan said. “I know what I’m doing. And no, it should be me, not you.”

She tried to speak, but couldn’t. She blinked, and tears trailed down her cheeks. Her emotions were a concoction of grief, and hope, and guilt. Nolan swallowed. He felt much the same. Part of him wanted to bring back Emery himself; he was his friend, after all. The other part, the logical one, knew Kael was right; they needed him to fight Jezebelle if she returned. And from the thoughts going through Jezebelle’s mind as she’d killed, she
would
return.

Nolan ripped open the front of Emery’s tunic; full contact made the job easier. The dagger had done its job quickly, going straight to Emery’s heart. His body was flawless except for that one wound.

Tiohan’s eyes caught his. “Will you … stay with me?”

Nolan nodded, unable to speak. Waves of guilt stabbed him.

“You have done this before, Lord Emissary?” Tiohan whispered, his voice trembling.

Nolan nodded slowly. It was a moment he could never forget.

Chapter Forty

EMERY SHRUGGED OFF HIS SOILED TUNIC, tossing it to the ground on the stones near the base of the castle stairs. Blood coated his bare chest. The gore spread up his neck and mingled with his beard. Red striped his breeches to his knees. He and Nolan emerged into the open courtyard, and all heads turned. For once, Nolan wasn’t the center of attention.

Kael met them from the other side of the courtyard; he stopped and stared.

“Report, General,” Emery said.

Kael cleared his throat. “Jezebelle left by scaling the wall, taking out several of our archers, and jumping down. We’ve seen no sign of her since.”

“She jumped?” Nolan asked, astonished. It was quite a high wall.

“How many dead?” Emery asked.

“Five wall archers. Six Talasian warriors. Three Rol’dan from the meeting room, including Tiohan,” Kael said. “Many more were injured but successfully healed.”

Alec and Rayen approached. Rayen jolted to a stop and her mouth dropped open upon seeing Emery.

“How … um … are you feeling, Emery?” Alec asked. “I mean, Your Majesty.”

Emery forced a smile. “Quite well for a dead man.”

Kat approached next, her eyes widening even larger than the others’. “Your Majesty! Are you hurt?” She continued to stare, shock emanating from her emotions.

“He’s fine,” Kael growled. “Now out with it, Lieutenant.”

“Y-your Majesty,” she said as her eyes dropped, taking in his whole gory appearance. “The Talasian war commander is on the field now. He’s talking with his warriors. Our Perception Rol’dan tried to listen in, but they can’t. It’s like there’s some sort of shield in place. We don’t understand—”

“The war commander?” Emery said.

“Yes, Your Grace. The one who met with you a while ago.”

“Show me.”

They climbed the stairs on the great wall. When they reached the top, they looked out onto the Talasian army. Tosho, whose dead body still lay in the conference room, now seemed to be quite alive and well.

“He’s right there,” Kat said, pointing to what indeed looked like the war commander speaking to his army. And like Kat said, they could hear nothing. The warrior’s mouth moved but not a sound came from his lips, nor could they hear the grumbles and shifting of weapons from the Talasian army.

“That isn’t Tosho,” Maska said.

“Obviously,” Emery said. He turned to Nolan. “Is it the gypsy?”

Nolan stared, seeing only Tosho.
Is my power so low I can’t even see her disguise? Crows, she even hid right in front of me in the conference room.
He rubbed his temples, his head throbbing. “I-I can’t tell. It would be my guess.”

“She’s enraging them,” Emery said. “I can feel it.”

Nolan felt it too—the forced hate. The typical expressionless faces of the Talasian warriors scowled. The Nass also poured from the army, though they were more transparent than they usually were—another sign of Nolan’s depleted powers. Jezebelle must be filling the army with lies, turning their emotions fouler, to create such a swarm of Nass. All the while, she blocked her voice from Nolan and his friends … somehow.
Crows,
w
hat was she saying?

Nolan had never tried a sound shield, never even knew he could. He wondered what combination of powers it would take to create one. His brief curiosity faded when he refocused on the situation. The wench had killed the Talasian war commander, and now she was pretending to be him. Why? And did the Talasians even know their queen lived? Crows, how was she able to hold her disguise, enrage the army, and manipulate a shield at the same time? And how in Brim’s light was he going to stop her?

“So, Nolan. What are you going to do?” Kael asked.

“Me? I don’t know.”

Kael snorted. “You can take her, especially with all of your recent training.”

It was a mistake to train.
In preparing, Nolan had weakened himself and, in turn, made it potentially fatal to use any powers now. The struggle to free himself from Jezebelle in the throne room had siphoned away most of his remaining Shay powers.

“How are you doing?” Kat touched his arm, her face concerned.

Nolan shook his head. He wasn’t well at all.

“How much do you have left?”

“Not much,” he said, his hands trembling.

Kael’s smug grin faded. “Nolan, are you okay?”

“No,” he said. “My powers are nearly gone.”

“Do you have enough to defeat her?” Kael asked.

“Maybe. If I use it all.” Nolan’s stomach turned. He might have enough, but it would be the last thing he’d ever do.

Kat slugged Kael’s arm. “You stupid twit! If he uses it all, it will kill him.”

Kael’s eyes widened. “Brother, is this true?”

Nolan nodded slowly.

“Well then … we’ll just have to do it,” Emery said.

Nolan gawked. “She’d freeze you before you took two steps.”

“Not necessarily,” Emery added. “I’ve blocked Empathy before. I kept Alcandor from controlling others.”

“Can you keep her out of my mind, as well?” Alec asked.

“You and the general, probably,” Emery said with a nod. “But not more than that.”

“No,” Nolan objected. “You aren’t fighting her.”

Alec crossed his arms over his chest. “You said you couldn’t do it on your own. Let’s do it together.”

“I-I don’t feel right about you three risking your lives.”

“And we’re supposed to stand here and watch you die on your own?” Alec said, frowning. “No thanks.”

“Alec, you can hardly stand!”

“Don’t worry, Brother … ” A cocky sneer pulled on Kael’s lip. “All four of us have already died and come back to life. If death can’t stop us, that gypsy wench doesn’t stand a chance.”

Nolan shook his head. Jezebelle had died as well.

“And what about me?” Kat asked.

“Probably just the general and Alec, Lieutenant,” Emery said. “I can only focus on keeping two free from control. I’m sorry, but they are both better fighters than you are.”

She pursued her lips, biting back a retort.

“It would give me comfort if you would keep an eye on Megan for me. She didn’t take my death well. Can you keep her safe?”

Kat’s eyes darted to Nolan and back to Emery again. She inhaled slowly and released it in a frustrated breath. “Of course, Your Majesty. I will keep her safe.”

With a quick bow, she turned and caught Nolan’s eyes as she passed him. “Stay safe,” she whispered.

Nolan watched her go, knowing that she’d rather stay. But Nolan was thankful Emery had ordered her away.

Alec leaned over the wall. “Crows. We can’t take on the whole nightforsaken army.”

“The Rol’dan will take care of the Talasians …
without
killing them,” Emery added.

Kael cursed under his breath. “If you say so, Your Majesty.”

“I will speak to the Talasian Army,” a voice said.

Rayen had been so quiet Nolan had almost forgotten she was there. She stared at her people, her once emotionless face filled with concern and love.

“You shouldn’t go out there,” Alec said to her. “Jezebelle already tried to kill you.”

“They need to know I am well.”

“We’ll let them see you, Queen Rayen, but we can’t risk your safety,” Emery said. “As soon as they know, we’ll pull you back behind the safety of our walls.”

***

The great doors opened, pushed by three Strength Rol’dan on each side, their muscles bulging as their eyes blazed red. Through the widening crack, the scene opened before them.

Jezebelle—disguised as Tosho—stood in front of the mass of Talasian warriors, her arms jabbing the air. At first, Nolan didn’t know what she was doing, until he remembered the shield. She was speaking; they just couldn’t hear her.

As the line of warriors saw them, their emotions fluctuated. Nolan glanced at Emery; his eyes blazed violet, his jaw trembling.

As Emery soothed them, the mood of the Talasian army altered, and the production of Nass subsided. Several warriors blinked away the forced emotions and focused on their queen. Confusion, then joy, surged through them at the sight of Rayen.

Jezebelle spun from the army, glaring at Nolan and his friends. Whatever sound shield she held dropped, and the murmurs of the warriors exploded from the silence.

A heavily tattooed warrior stepped forward, meeting them halfway across the field. Jezebelle yelled out to him in Talasian, but he ignored her and continued to his queen.

“The next highest warlord in command,” Maska whispered.

The warrior spoke, punched a fist to his chest, and bowed his head. Rayen touched her chest, and a conversation went back and forth between them.

“What are they saying?” Emery asked.

“She tells him the truth,” Maska said with a grin.

The warlord turned back to the Talasian Army, calling to them in his native tongue. His eyes locked on Jezebelle, and though his face held like a statue, his emotions seethed.

The army turned toward the gypsy, and Nass pulled from them in waves.

“Get the queen back inside,” Emery ordered, his voice urgent. “Close the gates.”

Maska whisked Rayen away, with the warlord guarding her other side. They strode briskly through the gates, and the large doors groaned closed with a reverberating thud.

Jezebelle, still in Tosho’s form, put a hand on her hip. “Now see what you’ve done. You’ve gone and made things all … complicated.”

Before everyone’s eyes, she transformed.

The warriors stepped back, their emotionless masks faltering. Nolan had only gotten a glimpse of her new transformation in the conference room. Now she stood in the open, her deception visible for all to see.

Her muscled skin glowed, and her braided hair shimmered with metallic hues, much like Rikar’s. The power of Brim gushed from her, as if she’d just stepped from the light.