78. Jack
SEVENTY-EIGHT
JACK
Jack heard the commotion at the same time he felt the grip on his oxygen supply slacken. Gunshots permeated the air. Jack was thrown against one of the lit braziers, sending a shower of sparks across his body.
Jack’s oxygen-deprived mind tried to make sense of the scene developing in front of him.
There was screaming and shouting from every direction.
Scanning the benches in the stands, he tried desperately to bring some order to the chaos.
Everywhere, black cloaks were either fighting or fleeing from New Hope soldiers.
To his right, Aareth was bent over double. He was pleading with the woman who stood above him, her sword raised and ready to strike.
“It’s you. I know it’s you,” Aareth was shouting, tearing at his shirt to reveal the tattoo over his heart. “You have the same one on your wrist. Remember, Brenda, remember! Remember who you are. You have to fight this.”
Jack struggled to his knees.
Aareth was pointing from his tattoo to the mark on his executioner’s wrist. Jack was too far away to see if she shared the same mark, but he could see dark lines etched into her skin.
Whatever Aareth was saying to her wasn’t enough to convince the woman. With a violent strike, she slashed sideways across Aareth’s neck. The heated weapon ate through Aareth’s dark hair and came to rest less than an inch from his throat.
Sloan appeared from the chaos, bringing her weapon down just in time to halt the deathblow.
Sparks exploded into the air like fireworks at a major celebration.
A shower of white hot embers fell across Aareth’s face.
If the cinders burned him, the man showed no hint of pain. All sanity had left Aareth.
“Sloan, don’t hurt her,” Aareth yelled. “Brenda, you have to stop this!”
As fast as the assassin who grappled with Jack, the woman Aareth so desperately believed was his wife attacked Sloan. Their blades moved through the air so wildly, they became blurs of red and blue light. Over and over again, the swords clashed, sending explosions of sparks into the night air.
Jack made it to his feet, his head buzzing from a combination of pain and the sounds of chaos. He didn’t know what he was going to do to help, but he had to try.
A hand grabbed him by the shoulder and heaved him to his feet. Jack jerked his arm back before he realized who had come to his aid.
“Take it easy. It’s me.” Abigail looked around with wild eyes. “Elizabeth read your thoughts when you left with Aareth. She told Sloan and me what was going on.”
“Well, I guess having your mind read isn’t always a bad thing,” Jack rasped through his swollen throat. “But it’s too dangerous for you to be here. You should?—”
The look on Abigail’s face was one that would turn flesh to stone. Jack stopped halfway through his sentence.
“If you say I should have stayed home instead of coming to help you, I’m going to kick you in the groin.
” Abigail stared at Jack, leaving no room for argument.
“Do you know how hard it was staying hidden while I trailed Sloan and her regiment? I’m not going to sit around while you three risk your lives.
Besides, who’s the one who needs help right now? ”
Jack couldn’t argue with her. Abigail had placed one of his arms around her shoulders and was half-supporting his weight.
“Okay, but…” Jack’s voice trailed off. His eyes moved from Abigail and caught up with the mayhem around them.
Whatever Order members had decided to fight instead of run from the Queen’s army were rethinking their strategy.
In every direction, black robes and steel helmets were being tackled to the ground by the better trained soldiers.
“Sloan, no, don’t!”
Aareth’s scream brought Jack’s attention to the two women still battling with mage swords. Casting all sanity aside, Aareth stood between Sloan and the masked woman he so desperately believed was his dead wife.
“Get back, you idiot.” Sloan bent her knees. She brought her sword high with both hands, ready to attack again. “She’ll kill you.”
As if to punctuate her words, the masked woman lunged at Aareth. Once again, Sloan was barely in time to push Aareth to the side and parry her strike.
Aareth fell into the woman, knocking the steel mask from her face. Abigail and Jack were still yards away, the former helping the latter walk. Jack was close enough to see the familiar face of Commander Brookhaven.
“Brenda! Brenda!” Aareth screamed like a man possessed. “It’s me. It’s Aareth. It’s me!”
For a brief moment, something like recognition passed over Commander Brookhaven’s face, but like a vapor against wind, it was gone.
“There! There, help the captain.”
Now that most of the members of The Order had been detained, soldiers were coming to aid Sloan.
A wild gleam crossed over the commander’s face. Jack had seen the same look a hundred times before while tracking in the Outland. It was the same mad expression that came over a cornered animal’s.
The commander took off at a run for one of the fiery braziers.
“Stop her!” Sloan screamed as she gave chase. “Cut her off!”
Jack and Aareth were in no condition to race after the escaping commander. Despite his weakened state, Aareth stumbled after his wife.
“No, no, don’t leave me again!” Aareth fell to his hands and knees. “Brenda! Don’t leave me again!”
Abigail, still supporting Jack, was useless to lend aid as well. It wouldn’t matter. In a few seconds, the commander reached the brazier, striking it with her blue mage sword. One of the metal legs supporting the large bowl of fire was severed in two.
Red-hot fire spilled forward, creating a flaming wall between the commander and Sloan.
All of the exits were guarded, but that meant little to the escaping commander.
Two soldiers standing sentry at a side exit abandoned their batons and reached for their sidearms. Two shots rang through the air as the escaping commander raced toward them.
Jack couldn’t believe his eyes. The gleaming blue sword actually deflected the bullets. Two quick strikes decapitated one soldier and impaled the other. Even before their bodies fell to the floor, she was gone.