The Earl's Childe (35 page)

Ermie circled back, so fast the world was a blur around me. “What are you doing?”

The rest are outnumbered. What if…what if it is impossible to follow your command in its entirety?

“You must!” I felt more tears coming to my eyes. We had to escape! If anyone was left behind…

We rushed to my friends, who were surrounded by red caps. Ermie managed to knock several of the monsters away. But some latched onto
him
with their teeth. He bucked and thrashed to get them off. I couldn't help but yelp. I knew I couldn't fall off, but it was still terrifying. And every jostle hurt!

I gasped as I felt Max wrap one arm around me, carefully cradling my wrist. He reached to grip Ermie's mane with his other hand. “I've got you,” he said softly, though he spoke through his own clenched teeth. The arm he was holding me with was more red and bloody than not. And…sizzling, like a chemical burn.

When Ermie had thrown the last red cap, he raced to where Lily was slashing at a grinning circle of the beasts while Sara-Not-Beth carried Livy in her arms. Joe and Chris, both with scratches and tears all over their clothes, flanked the unarmed and broken-armed Jared. Ermie ran another pass around them, picking up additional nasty faerie, allowing the two groups to rejoin, and making a circle of weapons around the injured, as our parents had done last night.

“Where's Dad?” I asked Ermie. “Why wasn't he with you?”

Engaged in another fight. With some other cat fey. There was a breach at your home. When I heard your first cry, I tried to bring one of your parents, but I could not
.

Oh, God! I hoped my parents were okay! I hadn't time to think much on it, though, as Max commanded from behind me, “Ermie, bring us back to Calbraith.”

I don't answer to you
.

“No, but it'll save Heather and her friends.”

“No!” I knew what he was going to do. “We aren't handing you over, Max!”

“Heather, we're not winning this battle.”

He is correct. We are not winning. The red caps are toying with us. If he gives the command for them to kill, it will be over in seconds
.

“We're not winning by sacrificing someone either!”

Another scream shot from Stormy. I felt Ehrwnmyr stumble and a bolt of emotional pain escape from his head.

“It
does
matter to you, doesn't it, kelpie?” shouted Calbraith. He stood over the tied-down horse, gripping one of the iron blades in his gloved hand. Red blood bubbled and fizzed from the cut across Stormy's side. “Of course it does. Give me mine, and I'll give you yours. Otherwise, you know what I can do to him.”

Max moved his good hand to my mouth. “Ermie, please. She hasn't given you an order to hold me on. Let me slide off!”

I bit down on his fingers. With a pained hiss, he let go. “Ermie, I— No!” Too late. Max was on the ground, limping towards Calbraith

The daoine síth lord smiled.

“The deal is,” Max said, “you call off all your minions and let
all
of them, Stormy included, get back to the castle. We stay here until sundown, and I follow you as your son.”

“Come closer, away from the kelpie, and we'll talk,” Calbraith narrowed his eyes.

“No,” I said to Ermie. “Stay near him!”

If you so command, but has he not his own free will?

“Calbraith is going to torture him!”

And all of us, too. I've done little to earn your trust, Heather, but I'm asking you to trust me and do nothing. Just for a moment
. He danced nervously beneath me. I turned to look behind me at my sister and friends, but he bounced, sending more waves of pain up my arms.
Pay attention
.

Limping badly, Max walked towards Calbraith. “There. I'm away from them. Now, let them go.”

“You're really in no place to make demands of me. Nevertheless, I'll be generous this once. You can choose which three get to travel with Heather and her kelpie.”

“That's not the deal!”

“You're not making the deal. You've insulted me twice already. Push me again and it will be down to two. And you can watch me kill the rest.”

“You already said you would give us Stormy if we didn't take Max!” I shouted.

“Did I? Well, really, you didn't give him to me. He came of his own accord.”

“No. Ehrw—” He bounced beneath me and I got a disjointed message of why. He didn't want this name shared, either. “My kelpie released him from his fur. Max couldn't have dismounted on his own. And you were addressing the kelpie since you said ‘your son,' so it counts!”

“A technicality—he answers to you.”

“But I don't have a son.” Ack, that felt weird to say. “And you know technicalities matter. That's how you like to
get out of
your bargains.”

Well-played, Heather
.

I was too busy trying to not freak out to truly appreciate the first real and total compliment from Ermie.

Over near Stormy, several cries, not human or equine, cut through the air. The silver cord fell as the two red caps holding it staggered backward, one with an iron blade sticking from its chest. Joe's blade! He must've gone invisible again! The half-kelpie kicked itself to its feet in terror, stumbling.

I apologize that this causes you pain, Heather
.

I yelped as he jumped to head off his son, bouncing me around on his back as I tried to keep some balance without use of either of my hands. Ermie herded him back towards my friends. They ran side by side, eye to eye. I felt a buzz of energy between them. Together, they headed towards Calbraith.

“Kill the grounded ones.” There was no emotion in the order Calbraith gave.

“No!” I screamed.

Let me kill the red caps
.

“What?” I said, confused.

You made it clear I was not to kill any sentient being ever. Let me kill the red caps and we may have a chance
.

My stomach sickened. But what could I do? “Kill the red caps and save my friends,” I whispered.

He tilted his head to look at me, and I saw his sharky teeth glint with a smile.
With pleasure
.

Blood splashed onto my legs and lap as Ehrwnmyr tore apart the red caps. Stormy continued circling around us. I noticed he kept an eye upon Ehrwnmyr despite his bugging eyes and the foaming at his mouth.

I don't know how much crunching or screaming happened before most of the red caps backed away, recalculating their strategy.

“Ru-un!” Ehrwnmyr growled at my friends as he herded the pack of red caps away from them.

“What about—” my sister began.

“Sa-afe!” the kelpie grunted.

“We'll catch up to you,” I shouted. “Go!”

“We're not leaving you!” said Chris, striking out with his sword as one of the red caps broke from the herd Ehrwnmyr and Son of Storms were making. I heard the crunch and thud as Ermie killed yet another, throwing it aside.

“Get Livy and Jared out of here!” I yelled again as Ermie snatched another offending red cap. With a shake of his head, he snapped its neck and threw it aside. Another wave of adrenaline must have hit, because I flexed my scourged hand and managed to finally grip Ermie's mane. I didn't feel quite like I was about to get thrown.

“Joe!” Lily squealed, pointing her knife to where Calbraith was.

Ermie spun around. Joe was on the ground, silver rope shining from around his shoulders. Calbraith pointed his sword at him as Max struggled and kicked at the daoine síth from a chokehold in his other arm.

I sensed the kelpie's question before he asked. I'd never felt so ill, but I said, “Do whatever you must to save Joe and Max.”

He was upon Calbraith faster than lightning. It was all the daoine síth lord could do to drop the blade and Max to avoid the snapping teeth. Rather than continuing the attack, Ehrwnmyr spun on one hoof and grabbed Max by his shredded shirt, tossing him onto Stormy. It took him a few seconds to get on, gripping the remaining ropes around the horse's neck to gain his balance. I don't know if Max was steering or if, somehow, Ermie was communicating with his son, but Stormy wheeled. Max reached out to Joe and yanked him up. With a kick at Calbraith, my kelpie spun again and returned to my friends.

He thundered through the band of attacking red caps, scattering them again, and tossing several.

“Lily!” I held my less-wounded arm out for her, pulling her up and trying not to whimper from the pull on the cuts. Chris followed next with Lily's help. Sara-Not-Beth handed him an unconscious Livy, then she gave Jared a leg-up onto Stormy while Max pulled him by his good arm. Ehrwnmyr ducked his head under her butt and shoved her onto his son's back as the red caps charged us again.

We took off to the castle, four each clinging to our fey horses. The red caps followed on our tails. God, I hoped our parents and the other kids were all right!

And that they were prepared for this.

CHAPTER

17

Back inside the castle, but not exactly safe or sound
.

It was hard for the four of us to fit on Ermie, but it was even harder for the other four on Stormy, who didn't have magical stick-to-me fur. Worse, he was staggering with almost every other stride. I could hear Max crooning at him. A few times, Ermie drew us close, licking the horse on the neck or wherever he could reach.

Fortunately, even at injured half-kelpie speed, we outpaced the red caps and reached the front of the castle in moments. The massive front doors were open, and Mum, Dad, Princess Maryan, and Prince Christopher, all looking definitely the worse for wear, waved us in.

Ermie slowed, nipping at Stormy, driving him in first. The half-kelpie stumbled on the steps but made it inside. Ermie turned just at the stairs and shook.
Off. Get inside
.

We didn't go flying, but I felt all his fur immediately release us. Chris and Lily caught Livy, who was totally unresponsive. Chris hefted her in his arms and ran inside.

I didn't dismount.

“I'm not leaving you out here!”

Foolish child!
He hopped and shook. With my broken wrist and him not holding me on, I lost my balance. His fur managed to catch me somewhat, so the fall wasn't hard.
Get inside
.

“Heather, come on!” Lily called.

“Heather! Ermie!” Mum shouted.

I ignored her, looking to where the pack of red caps was approaching.

I will hold them off. They will try to break inside. Go!

“No. Not without you!”

Stubborn, foolish girl!
He turned, grabbed me by the back of my shirt, and tossed me towards my parents.

“Nooo!” I screamed as Dad caught me in his arms, pulling me inside. Ermie
would
be killed! Tortured! Blood ran down all four of his legs, gashes bubbling from iron poisoning.

“Ermie! I've got it covered,” Mum said. “Look!”

At the edge of the driveway's cul de sac, the red caps had stopped and begun lining the edge, drooling and frothing in fury or hunger. Or both. Many had blood smeared over their faces or hands. Whose blood? My friends'? Ermie's? Theirs?

“Get in here! That's an order!” Mum finally commanded.

Rearing and snorting at the staring fey monsters, Ermie turned and ran up the stairs to join us. Dad hefted me in his arms as Mum laid several lines of salt across the stairs and the doorway. She held up a small pin, stared at the red caps—no sign of Calbraith yet—and stuck it into the salt. “You shall not breach this threshold,” she stated.

There was a crackle, and I felt the hum of her magick.

Prince Christopher helped Mum close the heavy oak doors and set the wooden bar across them.

“Oh, Heather! Baby!” Dad said when he finally got a good look at me.

“Heather! Heather!” Rowan was bouncing beside my dad.

Isis danced around all of us, howling and barking until Dad told her to sit and be quiet. She positioned herself between us and where the two horses had run to, growling at Ermie and Stormy.