Chapter 30
CHAPTER 30
T ears pricked at my eyes as I stared into the green depths of the jewel for the hundredth time since before the sunrise. I knew this ring like the back of my own hand by now…every facet, every curve, and yet that knowledge hadn’t make a lick of difference.
Worse? Our spotter had lost track of Relyk and his men in the middle of the night, and, based on their trajectory and previous speed, war would be upon us in hours—maybe less—and I’d made zero progress.
I took a steadying breath, fighting not to let frustration consume me.
“Harm?” A voice came from the door, pulling me out of my self-pity.
“Yes Moll?” I asked, my gaze still pinned on the ring.
“I know you’re busy, but can you take a quick second to come look at some of the traps we made.”
I scowled harder at the ring, resisting the urge to take my irritation out on her. “Moll, I need to keep going on this, there’s not much time—” I broke off and rolled my shoulders to ease the tension pooling there. Maybe a change of scenery was exactly what I needed. “Okay, sure. Show me.”
Moll grinned as I stood, her mood lighter today since her confession last night. “We’ll have to take the ladder, but it’s not far after that.” She paused and cocked her head at me. “You just gonna leave that thing on?” she asked, jerking her chin toward my face.
“What?” I lifted a hand to see what she meant and realized I still had the loupe over one eye. “Oh!”
I’d gotten sick of holding it and had mounted it to a strip of leather so I could fasten it on like a miner’s headlamp. I lifted it to rest high on my forehead and followed her out.
Wooden and rope ladders snaked down from every platform, giving residents an easy way to access the forest floor below. I followed her, a wave of nerves rolling over me as we got to the sketchy ladder. A kid arrived before us, and he gave us a wave before leaping into action. He hopped off over the side of the platform, his hand on the first rung for only a second before he began his rapid descent like a spider monkey, seeming to barely connect with the wood slats.
I swallowed my worry, glancing down as I hitched one foot onto the first rung.
“He’s almost halfway to the ground already,” Moll marveled.
The people here had thoroughly adapted to life in the trees, and it seemed normal to them in a way I could hardly imagine. My clammy hands had dried from the rope by the time we reached the bottom, and I let out a relieved breath as my feet touched down on solid, familiar ground.
The Speaker’s people were spread all around, focused on their tasks, working on various traps and preparations. I had to admit, I was impressed. This wasn’t just a band of malcontents, it was a respectable army. Relyk’s contingent of guards outnumbered us, but our fighters were magic users almost to a man, and I knew that the sorcerer could not say the same. Was he really so powerful that his magic could offset this many Whispers? Especially those with righteous fury on their side? Those who fought for their children and their homes?
“How awesome is that?”
I followed Moll’s pointed finger to the literal edge of our world. I’d seen it several times in the past couple of days, but it never failed to make me feel small and never failed to call me to it. My first up-close look from the ground was even more impressive than the view from above. It was as if our world had been sliced off from a larger world, with a perfectly flat edge. Just gazing down even from yards away, my head started to spin, and I took a few more steps back.
“It’s incredible.”
Moll knelt, grabbing a small stone from the ground nearby. “It really is. That’s what gave me this idea for my trap. Watch.” She tossed the stone over the edge, and it hurtled into the abyss below where it arced out, then fell. “See? Still has the same rules as we do.” She gestured toward a boulder that sat just near the edge of the Shadow Abyss. “Duncan helped me move it.”
I followed her gaze, seeing the rope that led from the rock into the forest behind us. “Ooh, that is a good idea!”
I could see it already; when triggered, the rope would snag its target by the ankle and send them hurtling off the edge of the earth. Only there was a problem…
I pointed. “It’s too close to all the ladders. What if one of the children comes down in the midst of the fighting, despite being told not to, and gets hurled off the face of the earth?” The reminder of all the kids here made my stomach lurch and my head pound. “In fact, you should go, too. Forget the traps. Just head deeper into the southern forest and take all the kids with you?—”
“Stop. Harm, stop and take a breath, okay?” She tugged a lock of my hair until I met her cornflower gaze. “It’s too late for any of that. He’ll find anyone who tries to escape. At least if they all stay here, they have every adult in the village on the ground protecting them up in the trees. And fighting harder yet for their babies. I know I would.”
“They should’ve evacuated. They should’ve?—”
“They wouldn’t. They didn’t. Because they believe in you .”
My ears rang and my vision went hazy. I was about to slap myself hard in the face, Druzilla-style, when it came to me in a rush.
Open your mind to the possibilities.
Pressure makes diamonds.
“I…I just thought of something, I’ve got to go.” I mumbled, “Move that trap farther away to be safe, okay?”
I ran back to the ladder we’d climbed down. I’d barely gotten a foot on the bottom rung when a horn blared in the distance, the sound vibrating through my chest, making the hair on my arms stand at attention.
He was here. Relyk and his army had arrived.
Villagers poured out of every hut, and I scurried up the ladder as the sound of pounding horse hooves grew in the distance.
I raced up the ladder, and to my sleeping space. The ring sat on the table, light glinting off it. I snatched it up and gripped it tight.
“Fetch, come on!” I called to him as I spun and raced back to the ladder for the second time that day.
Fetch landed on my shoulder, and I slid The Speaker’s ring on my finger. Arrows sailed from our line of archers at the platform’s edge, and I could only pray that I’d made it in time as the first sounds of clashing swords rang out from below.
A jolt of pain shot through my knees as I leapt down the last few rungs and scanned the battlefield, taking stock of the situation as quickly as possible.
There were two clear sides, with rows of Relyk’s troops battering at our less-coordinated ranks. As expected, though, magic made up for our lack of coordination. Fire, wind, and ice flared all around, pushing Relyk’s armored soldiers back.
I scanned the battlefield, doing my best to ignore the sounds of death echoing through the forest all around me. I’d have plenty of time to help later, but, right now, getting the ring to The Speaker was my only priority.
“They believe in you .”
Please let me be right.
The frost Whisper that Crispin had danced with the night before stood on one side, leading a cluster of villagers, but I looked past her, fixing my gaze on Duncan. He cleaved a guard of Relyk’s in half, his broadsword slicing through the man’s armor as if it was made of paper. Bile rose to burn my throat, but I forced it down as I charged toward his squad.
“Duncan!”
“You need to get inside, Harm, you—” He whirled back toward the battle, smashing right through a man’s helmet with a gauntleted fist.
“I need to get to The Speaker. I…I have the answer!”
Crispin nudged him aside, taking his place at the center of the pack. “Go! This is what we’ve been waiting for. I’ll hold things down,” he grunted as an arrow bounced off his shield.
Duncan cursed, sparing a final glance for his friend. “You’d better not die.”
He sprinted my way, coming to a halt as he fixed his eyes on me. “The Speaker was over this way, last I saw. Give me the ring and I’ll take it to him.”
His eyes were narrow and liquid silver, like they always were when he fought, and when?—
“You know it has to be me, Duncan. I can’t explain it, but if I can get to The Speaker, I think I can do it.”
He clenched a fist, smashing it into a nearby tree with another curse, then let out a breath. “Stay behind me.”
We charged in the direction he’d indicated, and it didn’t take long to figure out where The Speaker was. A cluster of villagers were being pushed back by a half-dozen soldiers when as many vines snaked from the nearest tree, and yanked Relyk’s men into the air. They screamed, struggling to escape, but it did little to help them as the vines squeezed in on them, crushing armor and chest alike.
The wood squished right through the first man with a sickening, cracking sound that was audible even though we were dozens of feet away, and the others weren’t far behind. Pieces of their bodies dropped from the tree like fruit, smacking into the ground below.
When I looked up, The Speaker stood ten yards away, hand extended toward the enemy, face twisted with rage.
So far, it seemed like Relyk’s side had taken more casualties. Perhaps The Speaker had underestimated his own power? He blasted through another soldier with a lightning bolt, incinerating him like he had with the Mantis. He was a one-man wrecking crew.
Duncan gestured, changing directions. “We’ll circle around and come up behind him, so we don’t get cut off.”
A thundering boom split the air, followed by a scorching gust with enough force to bring me to my knees. I scuttled backward to look up and saw that the band of Whispers The Speaker had just saved were completely gone, reduced to nothing but a pile of smoldering ash.
“No!”
Duncan threw his body in front of mine and held out his sword as Relyk made a beeline for The Speaker, six Jackals behind him.
“Nice hat,” Relyk called with a cruel laugh.
I pushed against Duncan, inching my way closer, and he moved with me.
The Speaker’s face was a mask of despair as he looked up from the remains of his fallen comrades. He gestured toward Relyk’s golden crown, his lips twisting into a smirk. “At least I came by mine honestly.”
The sorcerer waved for his Jackals to advance, his hand going to his shimmering crown. “This? I’ve always been in charge, hat or no. The nobles get uncomfortable if you show them how truly powerless they are, so I’ve ruled from the shadows. But the time for that is over now. Keeping the nobles fat and happy was easy, but starving and in chains is just as g?—”
A fireball zipped from The Speaker’s hands, cutting off Relyk’s monologue. The sorcerer batted it aside with a hand, mouth curling in disgust. “A commoner being born with so much magic is an abomination. Jackals, kill them all.”
“We’ve got to make a move.” I surged forward, trying to cover the last bit of distance as the black-plated warriors made first contact with the Whispers that moved to protect The Speaker, forming a human wall in front of him.
Duncan yanked me to a stop as a dark figure streaked toward us. Then, he launched us both five feet in the air as a war hammer smashed into the ground where I’d stood a moment earlier.
Jackal. And a massive one at that.
“The one from the tunnel…” Duncan muttered, already dropping low into a fighting stance.
The creature twirled the massive weapon around in his hand like it was hollow wood rather than solid steel, leaping toward us for another strike.
Duncan grunted, blocking the blow with his great sword.
“Keep moving, Harm—” The Jackal’s leg snaked out, connecting with Duncan’s ribs with a crack , cutting him short.
The prince lunged forward, his blade passing just inches from the monster’s face as it dodged. My heart skipped a beat as it held out its hand, a dark fog forming at its fingertips.
No.
My head hummed and throbbed even as my breath went short, but this time I didn’t fight it. A half a dozen possibilities flashed through my mind at once.
That one would work.
I fumbled through my pouch, breaking into a full-on sprint. If I could just?—
My hand settled on my grappling hook, and I whipped it out, smashing down on the trigger. The fog shot toward Duncan as the hook sprang forward, smacking directly into the Jackal’s faceplate.
The monster staggered back, releasing the spell. Duncan didn’t hesitate. Even as the war hammer came slinging down once again, he leapt forward rather than back. He roared as the shaft slammed into his shoulder, but mere pain was not enough to stop him. Not when he was like this. His hand snapped forward, taking the Jackal by the neck and hurling it to the ground. The cracked steel of its face plate splintered as Duncan rained blow after blow upon it.
But as the last of the black armor protecting the Jackal’s face fell away, he stopped and drew back in shock.
“Wh—”
I followed Duncan’s gaze, a wave of horror rolling over me as I took in the creature’s desiccated, rotten skin and bare muscle fibers wrapped tight around high cheekbones that spoke of royalty, the vague shape of the eye sockets and nose, and a telltale tuft of blond hair.
“Heinrich…?” Duncan muttered, stunned.
“Miss me, brother?” Heinrich asked, his voice even colder and harsher than it had been in life. He leapt to his feet in a single, jerky motion.
Duncan lunged forward, letting loose a flurry of slashes that had Heinrich on the back foot, but not for long. A second later, he was the one on the attack, swinging wildly with a preternatural howl.
I dashed toward them, yanking out my incapacitator and pressing it right against Heinrich’s chest. His arm shot toward me, but it was too late. His body twisted and writhed as I blasted him with energy, my other hand snaking toward my dagger.
A voice called my name just as pain shot up my arm and my blade stopped abruptly, mid-air, as if striking an invisible wall. I staggered back, eyes flitting upward, but it was already clear what was happening. Relyk, strongest magic user in all the land, had fixed his attention on me.
Duncan grunted as he flew back, propelled by Relyk’s magic, and a thin smile played at the sorcerer’s lips as dark energy gathered in his hand. “This is the end, little falconer. With your death, my rule is assured.”
I had failed.
I gritted my teeth, waiting for death as the purple ball of magic shot toward us. But it didn’t come. I blinked my eyes open a moment later, a jolt of shock running through me at what I saw.
Crispin Locke and his squad stood between Relyk and I, alight with bluish energy. The Speaker’s, I realized with a start, not even knowing how I knew. It…felt like The Speaker’s energy. Crispin dropped to his knees, panting as the last of the sorcerer’s magic dissipated against his shield.
I winced, rolling back, as movement flashed to my left. Heinrich sprang upward, raising a single gauntlet toward me. I fumbled wildly for my knife, unable to tear my gaze free of his narrow, murderous eyes. The blade thudded to the ground, and I scrambled back just as another figure came into view.
Duncan?
No, it wasn’t the hulking prince. It was Moll. Soft, sweet Moll, mouth twisted into a snarl as she screamed like a banshee, dagger clenched tight in both hands. My heart soared as she found her mark, the entire length of the blade sinking into the center of his forehead just as he was turning to stop her.
Moll let loose a triumphant roar, tears streaming down her cheeks, tearing the blade free as he fell back, then descended upon him for an entirely unnecessary series of follow up stabs on the already-dead Jackal. Flies burst out of him with each stab from her blade, and her shirt was soaked with his sticky, near-black blood by the time she fell back, panting. “Never again you bastard! You will never hurt another woman again!”
There was so much I wanted to say, but it was hardly the time, so I settled for, “Good job.”
A heavy hand fell to my shoulder. I spun to see Duncan behind me, clutching his chest. “We need to keep moving. We can get to The Speaker while Relyk’s attention is fixed on Crispin.”
He pulled away, his gaze shifting to Moll. “You did well. Leave the rest to us.”
And, for once, she didn’t argue. “Done.”
“See you when this is all over,” I said, pleased to see her hobbling back into the forest as I followed Duncan’s lead. She’d done what she had to do, and I could only hope it would help her heal.
Enhanced with The Speaker’s power, Crispin and his squad were a beacon of hope amidst the chaotic battlefield. Guards fell in droves and the villagers began to rally around them, holding the line against Relyk and his forces.
The Speaker himself was standing just behind those lines, barely moving as he forced every bit of his energy into Crispin and the other Whispers. Volleys of arrows rained down from the trees above, forcing Relyk to waste time shielding himself rather than focusing purely on offense.
And, for a moment, I allowed myself to hope. We were a few dozen feet away, and things seemed to have shifted in our favor. If I could just get a little further…
I was halfway through my next step when Relyk’s piercing voice cut through the air. “Kneel.”
My legs buckled beneath me as his magic rushed into me, accompanied by a wave of nausea. I sucked in a breath, glancing around. The fighting had ceased, with villagers and soldiers alike dropping to their knees at his command. I gritted my teeth, calling on every ounce of willpower I could muster.
I had to make it to The Speaker.
My head pounded with the struggle, and I let out a groan as I forced myself back up onto two legs, wobbling like a newborn colt. Jolts of agony arced up my legs as I forced one foot in front of the other, hobbling toward The Speaker as quickly as I could manage. Relyk had turned away, and I couldn’t imagine getting a better chance than this.
“Jackals, to me!”
The remaining undead soldiers jerked into the air, hurtling toward the now-hovering sorcerer. A nauseous ball formed in my stomach as they stopped abruptly, dangling an arm’s reach away from him as if hanging from puppet strings.
Agonized screams tore from their lips as dark energy began surging from every crack in their armor and moved toward Relyk. They seized and shook, fighting against their master as their life force flooded directly into him, illuminating his skin with unholy light. Pieces of armor dropped one by one as the Jackals fell. Clouds of flies swarmed from their mouths as their green, rotting flesh bubbled and writhed, giving way to the raw, red skin beneath. And, for a brief moment, they looked almost human.
“Ahh.” Black fire bloomed in Relyk’s hand. “Perhaps this was the way, all along.”
Duncan grunted, and I turned to see him struggling to his feet, eyes pinned on one of the Jackals in particular.
“Father?”