Sorceress (Book 2) (7 page)

He noted that they had outrun the rest of the invading cavalry. The lack of support concerned Majherri and he communicated as much to Danella.

As he feared, she was not interested in waiting.

“Your city falls!” she shouted. “Your leaders are dead or dying! Surrender and my liege may yet spare your lives, but the time for decision is now.”

The defenders answered with a dozen arrows that forced Majherri to spin and dodge in the narrow confines of the street. He felt one smack into his shoulder, but it did not penetrate his skin. He had no time to register his surprise as Danella opened the floodgates on his deep well of power and dark flames danced along his hooves and spread like a brushfire up and across his body. Her fireshade was almost effortless now.

“They had their chance. No quarter, Majherri,” she commanded and made him charge. They covered the distance to the barrier with such speed that the arrows and javelins overshot or were turned aside by his thickened hide, now protected by dark magic.

The impact was such that the pair of wagons in front virtually disintegrated and the ones behind them were turned into slivers of flaming death spraying across those who barred their passage.

Breaking through the center of this maelstrom, Danella remained in the saddle. They were met by the wails of the injured and dying. Perhaps two dozen had manned this barricade. Only three remained standing.

One, cradling his mangled arm against his chest, dropped the shield that had spared his life while sliding to the blackened stone.

“Please...no more! We surrender,” he said, gasping for breath.

Majherri sensed unmitigated glee come from his rider. It was mixed with a foreign feeling he’d never felt from Danella before. It was cruel and malevolent.

“You refused my generous offer and now I refuse yours.”

The injured man and his comrades barely had time to scream before she cut them down.

The conquerors of Jaruciax celebrated well into the night while the citizenry huddled in the Great Market or the wreckage of their dwellings and feared for their lives.

This didn’t feel much like the promised liberation. Instead, Majherri saw the signs of those drunk on their own power. Unfortunately, this included his rider.

After disposing of the soldiers trying to hold the Great Market, she’d almost gone tearing into the crowd of the unarmed citizens, compelling him to kill. Only the arrival of Count Darius prevented a slaughter, for which Majherri found himself somewhat grateful.

What remained of the ruling class of Jaruciax surrendered to Darius and many of those who did would become the next thralls of the heart of darkness.

Danella didn’t hide her disappointment from their bond as she rode through the streets and even went so far as to start several fires in a fit of childish rage.

Nearing the group of warriors manning the area where the main gate previously stood, he saw them turning back groups of denizens who sought to leave the city. The common folk would suffer greatly under the new rulers.

A familiar unicorn was there with her rider, keeping the situation from getting worse. She didn’t look ready to talk with him and he tried to lead his rider away, but Danella’s control over him resurfaced and he found that she was now “leading” him directly to Cyemma.

“How goes things, Penelope?” Danella asked in a relaxed voice. Cyemma was asking him questions at the same time, but Danella would not let him respond.

“All is well and in control, Master Scout. Today was a great victory for our cause.”

“Indeed,” Danella replied and dismounted. “I wanted to talk with you about what happened with our unicorns if you have the time to spare.”

“Majherri? Why won’t you answer me?”
Cyemma demanded.

He wanted to tell her to beware and to warn Penelope, but he could not. All he was capable of was bearing silent witness to what was about to transpire.

The air maiden also left the saddle and joined his rider on the ground. Majherri wanted to look away, but that also was denied to him.

Danella patted Penelope on the shoulder in a gesture of camaraderie, but before the air maiden could finish smiling, Danella’s hand was at Lancer Garrett’s throat. With more strength than Majherri thought his rider capable of, she dragged the other woman so their faces were almost touching.

He sensed her drawing on his pool of magic, despite their separation and he bore witness to a wisp of black vapor emanating from Danella’s mouth right into the choking air maiden.

Unceremoniously, Danella dumped the choking woman the ground. The victim tried to stand, but Danella’s words froze her there.

“No, Penelope, I did not give you leave to rise.”

The woman remained prone and the tiny part of Majherri, which he could still call his own, recognized that Danella had acquired a bit more from the netherbeast’s heart than he’d imagined. Cyemma was also frozen, but he saw terror and panic in her eyes.

“My boots are dirty, but you may kiss them.”

Lancer Garrett leaned forward and did as she was instructed.

“Come here, Majherri. Penelope needs something from my saddle.”

He struggled to no avail and trotted to the two.

Danella unhooked her whip. “Rise, Penelope and take this.”

The air maiden did so with a blank expression on her face.

“Penelope, my unicorn still harbors the idea that he can free me from this and return me to the pitiful weakling I used to be. I need you to perform a demonstration for me. Show him that I am powerful enough to make another rider whip her own unicorn. Five lashes if you please.”

He pivoted, against his will, and stared as Penelope whipped Cyemma, each crying out as the pain was distributed across their bond. Garrett collapsed after the final blow and Danella made her crawl back to them and return the whip.

“Thank you, Lancer Garrett. You’ve helped me teach Majherri a valuable lesson today. Do not shirk your duties to our leader by staying there on the ground. Return to your post.”

Riding Majherri back into the depths of the city, Danella released her iron grip on his will, almost daring him to do something. He did not, fearing that she’d make Garrett kill Cyemma.

“Pity my control over her won’t last long, old boy,” Danella said, addressing him. “Still, I think we’ve come to an understanding. You can wish all you want to go back to the way things were, but I have no interest in that idiotic notion and I am now and forever the one in control. The sooner you accept this, the sooner you can get back into my good graces. Now, since we haven’t been here in a few years, let’s see if we can still find something to do for fun!”

Shiftla was a welcome sight to the weary members of the refugee caravan, but a troubling one just the same. There weren’t many people on the road to the city, traveling in either direction. Still, Kayleigh breathed a sigh of relief that they had arrived without any other incidents.

Kayleigh had walked next to Rheysurrah when the town first appeared on the horizon. At first she believed it to be nothing more than a speck, but it soon grew.

Despite the lack of activity, the city looked like a fortress and she felt better with each step.

She and Rheysurrah had spent the past two days avoiding the problems between them as much as the bond would allow. Often she dismounted and walked beside him since the caravan didn’t move terribly fast. During those periods of time, Kayleigh began to wonder whether she’d be able to cleanly break their bond and ensure the unicorn would live, but at other times she realized that only a handful of days together under intense circumstances was not something to judge a partnership on.

Rhey is better company than Captain Lynch,
she mused.
I put up with her for much longer.

She refused to entertain the idea that her bond with Rheysurrah might not improve once they escaped the region.

Tamera rode up from the back to relieve Kayleigh. She looked confused at finding her on foot. Tamera announced, “Laurel said that when we get closer to the city that we’ll all form up at the front.”

“Any idea how long we’re staying?”

Tamera shook her head and replied, “I just want a bath and a chance to sleep on a real bed tonight. After that, I don’t really care.”

Kayleigh offered a smile and said, “Here I thought earth maidens liked the dirt and sleeping under the stars.”

Tamera snorted and dismissed her comment, blowing a breath of air up through her bangs. “Dirt I don’t mind. Sand gets everywhere! I wouldn’t pass up a hot meal either. I brought a few coins with me, but don’t know how long I can make them last.”

All the girls had some money with them. Kayleigh’s coin purse had all of her money because she’d never planned on returning to The Academy. It wasn’t much, but it was considerably more than the others. It was a lucky thing too; otherwise she might have carried her coin purse with her when Majherri went missing and it would have been taken when Kayleigh was captured. Instead, when she and Lieutenant Townsend left to search for her unicorn, she gave it to Laurel to hold.

“We sent word for reinforcements and all we receive is this!” The garrison commander pounded his mug on the table. They’d been ushered into his office the moment the gates opened. Her good feelings evaporated when she realized this city had been turned into an armed camp. When some of the refugees attempted to turn around and leave, they were stopped by the men manning the gate.

“Sir, we’re not reinforcements,” Laurel attempted to explain. “We’re trainees. We need...”

“Silence!” Captain Orsa shouted. “The High-King’s elite? Hah! Did you see those things circling the sky? We’re about to be attacked, idiot girl! Most of my troops were sent upriver to Jaruciax by royal decree. I send riders for help and this is what returns.”

Marcia tried to help her fellow air maiden. “We’ve been on the run for a week since our trainers were killed or captured. We’re just trying to get to Salif.”

Orsa ignored her and looked at the guardsman who’d brought them in. “I don’t have time to deal with this. Corporal, take these trainees to Smythe. Tell him to deploy them in the best manner to defend the city.”

“You have no authority over us!” Laurel stated.

Kayleigh knew it was true, but she also knew that truth and reality sometimes diverged. The man was a tall and imposing warrior with graying blonde hair that had seen too many years under the harsh sun. The man also had a look of desperation about him.

“My orders are to defend this city, and hold it I shall. You won’t leave until I say you can.”

“You’re trying to conscript us!” Laurel accused.

“That’s an ugly word for it, but feel free to use it. The Sultan of Jaruciax has a seat on the Council of Kings. You are pledged to serve the High-King and his court. As the Sultan’s representative, I must insist you stay and help me defend this city.”

Kayleigh figured the man was greatly overstepping his authority. Laurel did as well and voiced what everyone was thinking. Several of the trainees murmured in agreement.

The officer shrugged away their complaints and said, “If we get out of this, feel free to bring me up on charges to whoever might be left in power.”

This wouldn’t end well. Kayleigh caught Laurel’s eyes and she arched an eyebrow. Laurel grimaced and shook her head slightly and mouthed, “Not now.”

None of the girls moved and the guardsman cleared his throat. Orsa looked up from his maps and scowled. “Why are you still here?”

“We need to get to Salif. General Hawthorne’s headquarters is there. What good is holding a city if no relief force is coming?”

Her words seemed to get through to him.

“You’re right,” he said. “Pick one. She can go. The rest of you are staying. Your general is more likely to send assistance if there’s a reason for her to come here.”

He scrawled something on a piece of parchment and pushed it across the table to Laurel. “You’ll need this to get your rider through the gate.”

Laurel snatched it from him and motioned for the rest to leave with her. Once outside, they looked at each other until Amanda said, “This is a fine mess!”

Kayleigh agreed with Amanda’s assessment.

“So,” Tamera said after a minute of awkward silence. “I guess I’ll be the one to ask it. Which one of us gets to ride out of this place?”

“It won’t be me,” Laurel said. “I’m the one who led us here. I can’t ride out of here and leave the rest of you. Whoever goes will be on her own and we’ll be counting on her to get to General Hawthorne and bring help. Marcia is the fastest rider, Tamera is the strongest physically, and Kayleigh is the most magically talented. From my perspective it should be one of those three.”

Kayleigh was moved by her friend’s words. “I’m not going either. I’m blooded, and I won’t leave the rest of you. Not when I can make a difference.”

Tamera spoke. “If you want me to go I’ll do it, but you might need me to do that same thing here that we did at Mon Alder.”

The earth maiden was intentionally being vague because of the presence of the guardsman.

Frowning, Kayleigh remembered the three earth maidens working in conjunction to open a hole in the wall that allowed them to escape. Breaking the defenses of this city would endanger all the people counting on the walls for protection.

Coming to a decision, Kayleigh said, “If this is a vote, I say Marcia.”

“Are you just trying to get rid of me?”

It was tempting to throttle the girl, but Kayleigh took a deep breath and found restraint. “I’m using common sense, Marcia. You’re fast and tough enough to fight anything you can’t outrun.”

Nodding, Laurel agreed and handed the document to Marcia. “I vote Marcia as well. From what the travelers in the caravan were saying, it’s a hard five days of riding from here. I am willing to bet you can make it in four.”

The blonde air maiden nodded and forced a smile before saying, “Four won’t be a problem.”

Only a few minutes were spent on goodbyes as each rider offered up some of their supplies for Marcia and her unicorn. Kayleigh gave her the remainder of her dried fruit and refilled Marcia’s canteens using her water summoning.

“Thank you,” Marcia said. Though her words seemed more forced than the smile from moments ago.

“Safe journey,” Kayleigh said, trying to be diplomatic.

“What do you want me to tell General Hawthorne about you?”

Frowning, Kayleigh thought it over and replied, “Tell her whatever you think will get her here the quickest.”

They found Smythe at the docks...or what was left of the docks. Only two of the ten piers were in usable condition, barely. The rest had been put to the torch. The guardsman addressed the man as “Taskmaster.” Smythe wore no uniform, but carried himself with an air of authority.

“Baby Battle Maidens, eh?” the man said in a deep, thickly accented baritone. He was a hulking brute, covered with body hair. “Better than nothing I suppose.”

Looking around, Kayleigh saw that the work crew was close to being an angry mob. Their ire was directed at a few people in fine traveling cloaks, under heavy guard, who were boarding a ship.

Typical. Even with the city locked up, the nobles still find a way to escape.

“We caught the scum that did it,” he said. “They didn’t even try and hide or deny it.”

Laurel asked if they had solid black eyes. The man nodded and answered, “Until they died. They entered the city under the guise of being blind. Those who escorted them are still somewhere in the city and ready to cause more trouble. We’ll deal with them when the time comes. Doesn’t really matter – we don’t have enough ships to use the piers anyway.”

“How much to get us out of the city?” Laurel went straight to the point.

The man laughed and scratched his bristly beard before responding, “Orsa won’t miss a handful of useless nobles. Shiftla is better off without them and they are better off without some of their coins. You ladies, on the other hand, would be missed and I would have a most difficult time explaining your whereabouts.”

“We could always tell him about the nobles,” Laurel said, clearly not above using a threat.

Smythe laughed deeply. “You have spirit, young lady. I think I will like you! As for our good captain, he has too much on his table right now. I suppose this would upset him, but he needs me more than I need him. Who else would put the beggars and paupers on his city walls where real soldiers should be and keep them from turning on him?”

“Why do you stay?” Laurel asked.

“A good question. Shiftla is my city.”

Kayleigh listened to the way he spoke possessively of the town and came to a realization. “You’re not a soldier are you?”

“Oh no! I am the Taskmaster, dear. As I go, so goes Shiftla.”

The others were confused by his response, but Kayleigh wasn’t. Many towns she’d lived in had a powerful merchant family that ruled with an iron fist. In Helden it was Rebekah Morganstern’s father, by virtue of owning most of the fishing vessels. In Laurent, larger than Helden but much smaller than here, it was a one-handed, ruthless man known as Claw. Smythe probably had men like those two working for him. He was both above and below them at the same time – a true crime lord.

“What can you do for us, sir?” Kayleigh asked, hoping to sound respectful and drawing on memories of how her mother had dealt with Claw and Morganstern. Brenda Reese made it look effortless, but Kayleigh now knew that it was anything but.

Laurel sent a questioning glance in her direction and Kayleigh hoped her friend wasn’t feeling slighted. Whitaker nodded her approval ever so slightly.

“For now, I can do very little. I can give you food and a place to rest. My compound is near. We shall go there shortly.”

“Then we thank you for the kindness you offer us,” Kayleigh answered for them and they waited for the man to finish giving his instructions to the work crews.

Kayleigh did her best to make Rheysurrah understand the situation as they moved through the nervous streets of the city and approached Smythe’s opulent compound, but the streets were now packed with people attempting to go about their daily routine amidst the flood of refugees aimlessly wandering the roads in search of something that they may never find.

She was reluctant to admit it, but she thought Majherri would require much less explanation. Her former unicorn was more experienced and had a better understanding of human nature. Shiftla was a pile of smoldering firewood waiting to burst into flame.

With a heavy dose of sarcasm, the young sorceress mused, “The rest of the riders, except maybe Laurel, don’t have a very good grasp on the situation either.”

Smythe had his own walls and the men manning them were far from ill-equipped peasants.

Of course a man like Smythe can’t run. His power is here. Take him away from it and he has to start all over again.

Winding their way through the unruly crowd was a different experience altogether. She was a unicorn rider. In the villages they’d stopped in on the trip when Kayleigh was recruited, they were welcomed with great fanfare. Riding into Talcosa, the High-King’s seat of power, had been overwhelming and she’d been lost in the moment. Now, she had a chance to really see the crowds from the saddle of her unicorn. Eyes looked upon them, some with jealousy or envy, some filled with hope, but many with anger. Around her, she felt as if the other riders were pulling closer to each other, reacting to the multitude of emotions surrounding them.

A few voices grumbled. Several rose above the collective muttering.

“About time you showed up!”

“Where are the rest of you?”

“Is the enemy here?”

“Do you have news? I have family in Kintalla!”