Fey 02 - Changeling (93 page)

As his sight came back, he saw another Fey halfway out the door, his legs fusing together.
 
For a moment, Matthias thought that was Burden, but it wasn't.
 
This Fey was too old.

"Help me," he said in accented Islander.

Matthias stood over him for a moment, then shook his head.
 
"You came to kill me.
 
I have no reason to help you."

"You're a holy man," the Fey said.
 
He had to be in great pain, but he wasn't screaming.

Matthias nodded.
 
"I am a holy man," he said, "and my mission is to rid Blue Isle of the likes of you."

FIFTY

Stowe took the stairs two at a time.
 
A bloodcurdling scream echoed from the upper floor.
 
Then he heard a huge crash and a cry for help.
 
The sound of breaking glass and large falling objects filled the area.

Stowe reached the first landing, looking over his shoulder and shouted, "We need more men!"
 

Two guards were halfway up the stairs.
 
One of the men relayed the order down.
 
The Aud ran toward a sideroom.
 
Another Aud stood at the top of the stairs frozen in terror.
 
He had a bottle of holy water in his hands.

The screaming started again.
 
Several voices raised in unison, long chilling cries that blended and clashed.
 
Stowe reached the top of the stairs.
 
He plucked the vial of holy water out of the Aud's hand, and the boy nearly collapsed with fright.
 

"Get help, son," Stowe said.
 
He pulled his sword and advanced, sword in one hand, holy water in the other.

The hall was long and wide, filled with lit lamps.
 
As Stowe ran into the corridor, a door at the end opened and a Fey ran out.
 
He wasn't screaming.
 
He didn't need to.
 
The fear was etched on his features.
 
Another Fey followed him out, then shouted and toppled forward.

The first Fey saw Stowe and tried to turn around.

"Don't move," Stowe said "Or I will kill you where you stand."

The Fey half turned and froze in a position where he could see both Stowe and the door.
 
"Let me go," he said.
 
"There's a madman following me."

"You're the madman," Stowe said.
 
"Don't you know it's death for you to be in this building?"

The Fey in the doorway was begging for help.
 
Matthias's voice was soft in answer.
 

"He'll kill me," the Fey said.

He probably would too.
 
Stowe put the holy water vial in his pocket.
 
"Well, I won't," he said.
 
"But I will have to hold you prisoner.
 
Come here."

The Fey glanced at Stowe's pocket, then came close enough for Stowe to grab him and hold him with one arm around his neck.
 
"One move," Stowe whispered, "and I'll coat you with holy water myself."

"Fine," the Fey said.
 

The Fey in the doorway gasped as the melting rose up his chest to his neck.
 
He turned his head as if to beg Stowe for help when his face flattened out.
 
He thrashed.
 
The air smelled of burning flesh.
 
Stowe turned his head away.

The Fey he was holding watched, his body rigid.
 
More guards came up the stairs and surrounded Stowe.
 
"Take him," Stowe said, shoving the Fey at some of the guards.
 
"Be careful.
 
We're taking him prisoner."

Matthias came through the door.
 
He stepped over the thrashing body, and stopped when he saw the guards.

He was a mess.
 
His robe was sopping wet, his hair tousled, and his right hand was bleeding.
 
In his left he held an open vial of holy water.

"Thanks for catching him for me, Lord Stowe," Matthias said.
 
"Since he led them all, he can be the last to die."

Something in Matthias's voice sent chills through Stowe.
 
"He's not going to die," Stowe said.
 
"We'll take him to King Nicholas."

"The good King will set him free."

"The King will treat him like any other murderer," Stowe said, letting the words hang in the air.
 

The Fey said nothing.
 
Even though he was being held, he had wormed his way behind the guards so that no water could touch him.
 
"If he deals with me the way he has dealt with that murderer," the Fey said, "then I will live."

At that moment, Stowe recognized him as Burden, the one who started the Settlement.
 
Even Fey who had been rational and supportive of the truce between Fey and Islander had gone crazy over Jewel's death.

"It's not murder when the thing you're killing isn't human," Matthias said.

"Is that how you justify it?" Burden asked.

"I'm not justifying anything," Matthias said.
 

"You have to be," Burden said, "because you're just like us."

Auds, Danites, and Elders were arriving from all over the Tabernacle.
 
Most crowded behind Matthias.
 
A few put their hands over their noses to block the stench that was coming from the Rocaan's apartment.

Matthias took a step toward Burden, his hand clenched so tightly around the vial of holy water that his knuckles were white.
 
"You and I are nothing alike."

"We are exactly alike," Burden said, keeping the guards between him and Matthias.
 
"We didn't find out about our magical abilities until we were adults."

"Magic?" Matthias laughed.
 
"I have no magic."

Stowe didn't like how this conversation was going.
 
"I think we should get him downstairs."

The guards put their hands on Burden's arms.
 
The guard in front of him moved.
 
Stowe signaled that the guard should continue to block Burden.
 
Burden peered over his shoulder.
 
"You have magic," he said.
 
"Or else you would never have awoken from that dream."

"What?" Matthias spoke in a harsh, disbelieving whisper.

Stowe held up a hand so that the guards paused.
 
He wanted to hear the end of this one himself.

"Only magical beings can break a Dream Rider's spell.
 
Only Fey."

"I'm clearly not Fey," Matthias said.

The world was shifting here.
 
Stowe moved near Burden as well.
 
The muscles stood out in Matthias's left arm as he squeezed the vial of holy water.
 
He would break it if he wasn't careful.

"That's right, you're not," Burden said.
 
"But you have magic.
 
You broke out."

Matthias shook his head.
 
His face was paler than it had been before.
 
A slender Danite came up beside him and took his arm with a familiarity Stowe had never seen in the Tabernacle.
 
"We should go," the Danite said.

"Leave me alone, Titus," Matthias said and shook himself free.
 
"I have no magic.
 
The spell was a thin one."

"Nightshade is — was — our best," Burden said.
 
"No one broke from his spells.
 
Not even Red Caps.
 
No one except Fey with magic of their own."

Matthias took another step.
 
His eyes appeared glazed.
 
Stowe stepped toward him, keeping his body between them.
 
He knew he should get Burden out of there, but he couldn't.
 
Not yet.
 
He wanted to hear the end of this logic himself.

"You're lying," Matthias said.

"Really," Burden said, his voice ringing with sincerity, "I have no reason to lie.
 
Especially right now."

"You think that if I believe we're kindred spirits, I will let you go."

"I heavily doubt that," Burden said.
 
"But I think you should know what you are."

"I am Rocaan!" Matthias shouted.
 
Spittle flew from his mouth.
 
He looked half crazed.

"And the one who discovered that your holy water acts as a poison, right?" Burden asked.

"He did," Porciluna said from the back.
 
Stowe glanced at him.
 
He didn't trust Porciluna.
 
The man's ambition colored everything.

"As well as escaping one of our charmed assassins."
 
Burden shook his head.
 
"I've been thinking about this.
 
It seems odd that you would survive three separate attacks.
 
I think you should talk to our Shaman."

"So she can kill me?" Matthias said. "I am not a fool, Burden."

"No," Burden said.
 
"You have a very powerful magic.
 
Your belief in the military use of that poison is so strong that you have converted all of us to your belief."

"Are you saying holy water won't work any more if we don't believe in it?" one of the guards asked.
 
Stowe tapped at him for quiet, but it was too late.
 
The question was out.

"It'll work now.
 
He changed its properties.
 
His magic is now part of the mix.
 
The sign of a very powerful magic maker.
 
And you survived an attack by a Charmed assassin."

"He was just a boy.
 
An Islander boy who didn't want to kill me," Matthias said in a quivering voice.

"I Charmed him," Burden said.
 
"I was behind the attack.
 
Few Fey could have escaped that.
 
And no one breaks a Dream Rider spell without magic.
 
No one."

"You lie!" Matthias tossed the holy water vial at Burden.
 
Stowe moved a step closer and caught the vial in mid-air, water spilling all over his hand.
 
He turned.
 
Burden was crouching behind the guards.

Safe.

"Get him out of here," Stowe said.

The guards didn't have to be told twice.
 
They hurried Burden down the stairs.
 
Titus took Matthias's hand and wrapped it in a bandage.
 
Matthias stared after Burden as if he had struck him in the face.

"I can't believe you were going to kill a man who was unable to defend himself," Stowe said.
 
"You have no compassion."