Chapter 10 #2
Auggie took a step forward, and the nearest guard reacted by pointing his pike in Auggie’s direction.
Auggie stopped cold and lifted his hands higher, placating.
“You needed it, so we brought it. A few of your men made it to Bristol.” He hesitated.
“They didn’t survive, but they made your need known. ”
The man relaxed and held up a hand, then lowered it for the soldiers to see.
They lowered their weapons in response. “Thank you,” the man said.
“We weren’t sure how much longer we would have lasted.
As is, we’re patching places where the salt has worn down around the walls.
Our next step would have been to huddle together in the cathedral. ”
“That wouldn’t have been very dignified,” I said.
“When you’re so near death, dignity is your last concern.” He waved some men toward the salt, and they began guiding the bags inside the gates. “Would you share a meal with me? Night isn’t particularly kind to people outdoors. You’ll be wanting to stay the night.”
“That would be very generous of you,” Auggie said, following us inside.
The town was lively and went on as far as the eye could see, with people milling about the streets in front of building after building.
There had to have been well over a thousand people.
The streets were hard-packed earth, and the buildings in a state of disrepair.
I supposed it was hard to maintain things without proper materials, and they’d had access only to what had been behind these very walls for over a decade.
Little glass bulbs strung on wire glowed along the streets as well as indoors. I couldn’t quite tell where the magic that illuminated them came from. It didn’t appear to be fire. It was very strange. And it was clearly alchemy.
“Welcome to Kingsbury,” the old man said. “I am Benedict, the mayor.” He paused then, as Freya stepped into the light. He held up a hand, and I heard the distinct sound of bowstrings being pulled taut.
I stiffened, lifting my eyes to men overhead, arrows pointed straight down at us. “Benedict? Is this how you treat all of your guests?”
Benedict ignored me. He stalked up to Freya and shoved her cloak aside, revealing her extra arms. “The Butcher. You dare show your face here after what you did?”
I watched as Freya looked away, shame evident in her features. “Freya? What is this?”
Benedict sneered. “What is this? Your witch friend here has come to us for help over the years, so we’re familiar with her strange appearance.
Survivors from the destruction of villages to the south easily described her.
She was leading the charges to expand the Ember King’s territory.
Do you know how much the Ember King has made my people suffer?
How many of the people of Kingsbury have been murdered by his demon-hounds? ”
Freya lifted pleading eyes to his. “I have never worked with the Ember King. There was a brief power struggle for territory between him and the necromancer Ambrosia. I was … compelled by her magic—used by her.”
“And that will help the men you killed rest easier?”
I stepped forward. “Whoa, whoa. Freya was under the control of a necromancer. Don’t you get it? You helped patch her up with parts from dead people. Dead. People. You’re part of the reason Freya was so easy to control.”
Benedict stared back at me stony-faced
“No, Callum,” Freya said, touching my arm. “I understand if they don’t trust me.” She turned to Benedict. “But you should thank the Gods that you never have to know what it’s like to see your own hands cutting people down when you have no control over them.”
My mouth went dry.
“I will go,” Freya said, stepping back toward the open gates.
“You can’t go,” I protested. “There are demon-hounds out there.”
Freya shook her head. “I can encircle myself with salt. I’ll be all right. I don’t want to be the reason you’re turned out.” She smiled weakly at Benedict. “Perhaps I can be of use while I’m here. If you would permit it, I could create a portal.”
Benedict’s face darkened and he opened his mouth to argue, but Freya rushed on: “It would be outside your gates, so no one would have direct access to Kingsbury. You can keep it surrounded by salt to keep it from being tampered with by the hounds. But at least you won’t be cut off.
You can get salt when you run low on stock.
You can … begin sharing your knowledge with the outside world again. ”
Benedict considered, a muscle ticking in his cheek. “This doesn’t mean you’ve atoned for your past, Butcher.”
“I know that.”
He hesitated but nodded. “Do it, if you wish.”
Freya bowed her head.
“I’ll come with you,” I offered.
Freya held up a hand. “I’ll be fine, Callum. And I want to see this through myself.” She nodded to Benedict, then slipped out the gate.
Benedict watched her go warily. “The circumstances are complicated. But I have to think of my people first. Her presence would be a … distraction.”
Freya had done nothing wrong, had been used by another. But humans reacted poorly when they were afraid or angry. Who knew what seeing her walking freely about town would have led to?
The gate lowered behind us. Three men pushed spokes on a large wheel that slowly lowered the chains that held the gate in place.
I squinted at Benedict suspiciously. “You aren’t afraid to have another witch in your fair city? That doesn’t seem very smart.”
Benedict shook his head. “We understand that not every witch is like the Ember King. Especially a witch bearing gifts.”
“But why are you still here at all, when you could have left ages ago, before it got so bad?”
Benedict sighed, turning to face me. “You have to understand that we did lose most of the residents of Kingsbury when the Ember King established himself. But we also had the sick and elderly who couldn’t be moved.
We had women close to labor, babies, small children …
many families stayed because this was their home.
But most of us … we stayed because our entire livelihoods were here.
Everything we learned from the visions God has passed down to us through dreams. The inventions, the knowledge, the experiments. We pray and He answers.”
“He didn’t give you salt,” I pointed out.
“Didn’t He?” Benedict chuckled. “You are here, aren’t you? Did I imagine the salt you brought with you?”
That was … true. But God certainly hadn’t compelled me to come. Auggie had. Even now he was leaning over one of the glass bulbs, a yellow glow bathing his face.
“Father says prayer is a sort of magic itself,” Therese spoke up.
Benedict stared at her frog body for a moment, then nodded.
Auggie straightened. “Didn’t Kingsbury have a saint once?”
“Oh, yes. Over a decade ago. She could perform … well, I suppose you would call them miracles. She was interred in the church. I can show you if you’d like.”
If demons were the children of fallen angels and humans, then saints were the children of God’s angels and humans.
Allegedly. No one had ever seen an angel, and many of these saints were supposedly conceived immaculately.
But I had heard tell of saints’ powers, and they were on par with demons’.
There was only one saint I knew of alive today, Saint Akilah, and she was in New York City, coincidentally.
She could burn demons from the possessed with a touch and protect entire households from demonic influence with charms. Lucifer no doubt loathed her.
“I know you think that it would be crazy for anyone to live like this, behind these walls,” Benedict continued, “but aside from the howls outside these gates at night, and admittedly limited supplies, we are happy here. We are a community. And we won’t be driven out by an evil witch.”
I nodded slowly. I hadn’t considered that some of the people couldn’t be moved, but still …
the ones who could move should have made haste.
They could have renewed their experiments elsewhere.
Of course, someone like Auggie wouldn’t have.
He would have wanted to ensure that people were all right and to protect the records of their hard work.
I suppose I could understand that desire, even if it was foolish.
We sat at a lavish table in Benedict’s home.
The dinner was simple, but delicious, with pheasant, potato soup, and one of the most delicious salads I’d ever tasted, with candied walnuts.
Narcissa had dropped any facade of keeping her wings hidden.
She was enjoying a pheasant of her own and kept making murmuring comments, like “I’ve never eaten so well,” and “I could get used to this.” Even though I had fed Narcissa plenty of game birds over the years.
“Why haven’t you established a portal to Bristol or some other place to replenish your supplies before?” I asked.
Benedict waved to the windows, as if to indicate the town.
“They don’t trust that a portal wouldn’t bring more grief to us.
These walls have kept us safe all these years, and the idea of a door that could open to anyone gives them pause.
It gives me pause. Just because there are good witches such as yourselves doesn’t mean there aren’t more bad ones out there. ”
“Humans as well,” I muttered.
“Humans as well,” Benedict agreed, smiling.
“Also, no witches have visited us until now.” He paused.
“For a long time, I think this town believed itself capable of being completely self-sufficient. But as our stores have dwindled, it’s become apparent that we’re more reliant on our neighbors than we suspected.
We could use such a portal. If The Butcher is capable of creating one … it really would be a godsend.”
“She will do it,” I said.
He nodded. “Then she has my thanks.”
I refrained from snorting at that. “I’ll send that along to her. I’m sure it will be some comfort.”
“Can I see your invention archives?” Auggie asked suddenly, then looked down at his plate.
“I mean, if you would want to share. I know some alchemists, you see. I’ve learned a lot from them, but it’s mostly limited to botany.
I’ve aided them in their research. Perhaps you would find our discoveries useful? ”
Benedict smiled. “Kingsbury was once a great city. Perhaps it can be that again. It would be our absolute pleasure to share what we have learned, young man.”
Auggie smiled. “Thank you.”
Benedict lifted a glass to him and Auggie lifted his in response before they both took a drink.
Then Benedict turned to me. “There is going to be a celebration in the town square, in your honor. Please, enjoy yourselves tonight. Tomorrow, I will give you a tour of our accomplishments. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I would like to check on The Butcher’s progress. ”
“Freya,” I corrected him with a smile, to which he nodded before leaving us.
“A tour of Kingsbury,” Auggie sighed, nearly melting into his chair. “It’s like a dream.”
I snorted. “Your alchemists are certainly strange.” I made to stand. “I guess we should go and enjoy this celebration. You’re the reason we’re here at all.”
Auggie ducked his head. “It could be fun.”
I smiled. “Okay, then.” I gathered up my bag and Therese slipped back into the pocket she’d claimed for herself. Her head poked out to take in her surroundings.
“I do enjoy celebrations,” Therese admitted. “Do you think they will have a puppet show? I’ve always enjoyed them.”
“Puppets?” I wrinkled my nose. “Gods, I hope not.”
Auggie elbowed me in the ribs. “Be nice.”