Chapter 35 – Vale #2
“Here!” Neve ran down the stairs to the nymph and froze the skin of Tanziel’s cheek. “That might stop it from spreading.”
Tanziel moaned, but Bac’s eyes widened hopefully. “I think it’s working. I—”
“They’re here!” Freyia screamed as eight ogres entered the chamber.
“Skies!” I shouted. “Target the wolves, Neve. Luccan and Caelo, stab the lindwyrm.”
Everyone sprang into action, and I flew back the way we’d come to take on the ogres with Freyia.
They were pushing forward, attempting to overtake the vampire, but we had the high ground, the ogres were starving, and between Freyia and me, we had many turns of battle on our side.
With swords skewering their eyes, we disabled four within seconds.
An icicle shot from above to kill a fifth, right in the temple. I grinned, knowing it was Neve’s work.
The final three seemed the smartest of the bunch. They ran back down the steps and disappeared into the spokes of the coinary. We let them go, and I twisted back to the others in time to see Harvadril cut through the lindwyrm. With a violent hiss, the beast went limp.
Neve had lanced more wolves too. I did a quick count.
Only two wolves and two draugrs left.
“Up the stairs,” I shouted. “Harvadril, me, Caelo, and Luccan. Ogres might return. Freyia—”
“Yes, yes, I know. I have the back.”
“Neve, help Bac and Tanziel.”
Normally, she wouldn’t have enjoyed being told to let others fight the hard fight for her, but Neve was heaving with the effort of taking down so many wolves so fast.
As we ran up the stairs, Luccan diverted to the lindwyrm. From its head, he pulled out a fang dripping with venom. He stuffed the fang in his cloak pocket. “Arie and Duran might want to study it.”
Brilliant. If we could recreate the venom, we could use it in a weapon.
Up the stairs we ran, Harvadril and me taking them two at a time, pulling ahead of the others. The other draugrs rushed to meet us and before I could brace myself, I was steel to steel with the female undead.
The only way I knew to kill one of these was to slice off its head. Of course, the undead creature did not make that feat easy. She defended. I struck. She leapt. I scrambled back.
The others possessed the sense to remain at a safe distance, but at the rate I was failing, I’d be next to them soon. Then what? The enemy draugr would be far too close to my mate.
“For the Blood of the White Hawk!” screamed Harvadril, and a skull flew by my shoulder, down the stairs.
A shriek wrenched out of the female draugr I fought and in a pitiful moment of weakness she spun to find her peer crumbling to ash. One second was all I needed. My sword ripped through her neck, and a pile of ash formed.
Two direwolves left. That’s all—
A dagger shot past me, sticking in one wolves’ skull right before a second blade did the same to the other. The beasts fell, and their blood ran down the steps.
Freyia laughed. “Stupid dogs.”
Bringing the vampire had been a good idea, indeed.
“That’s all, right?” Neve gasped as she ran up the steps to join.
“For now,” I said. “More will be at the top. Soldiers.”
Neve winced. “Harvadril, can you—”
“I appreciate your invitation to join you, Princess Isolde, but I cannot leave The Below,” the undead corpse interrupted. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh. Well, then, thank you for your help.” She looked like she wanted to hug the creature. Or possibly drag him up the stairs. I would not be surprised if later, I found Neve researching how to break a draugr from its enchantment.
If we survive whomever we’ll meet at the top, that is.
The alarm had ceased, but we all knew guards would be waiting in case, against all odds, we survived the monsters they’d placed in The Below to deal with thieves.
“Thank you, draugr,” I said. “We owe you our lives.”
Harvadril stepped aside, allowing us to pass. I didn’t look back as we climbed the stairs. One by one, we reached the top. The last being Bac and Freyia, who were helping Tanziel.
“Freyia, I need you here,” I said. “When we exit this door, they’ll be waiting. The only reason no one has come down already is they want the monsters to defeat us and likely have the door warded against their kind.”
“No.” Neve held up a hand. “I have an idea. Let me go first, and we won’t have to kill anymore. I want to avoid that, if possible.”
Her fingers glowed a light amethyst. She was calling her magic.
“You have enough power left?”
“I think so.”
I trusted her judgment. “Be ready to strike the instant I open it.”
She got into position, her chin tilted up, her spine straight and proud. I’d never seen my mate look so like the force of nature that she was.
“Three, two . . . go!” I flung the door open and a blast of cold rushed by me, stealing my breath before Neve crossed the threshold.
Screams came from the coinaries’ main level, but they silenced quickly. Neve entered, and I shivered as I followed my mate and witnessed the destruction.
Three dozen guards stood assembled and ready to fight. Leprechauns were waiting for us to appear, not to battle, of course, but likely to give instructions. Every one of them was frozen from head to toe.
Neve wavered, and I caught her right before her knees buckled. “Thanks. I need a second. I—” Her eyes caught mine and widened. “Vale, your glamour! It’s gone!”
Only then did I realize hers was too. Luccan, Caelo, and Freyia also appeared to be their usual selves.
“There was an enchantment on the threshold,” Caelo said. “I bet it activates with the alarm. I felt the enchantment break my glamour when I walked through.”
“There’s no time for you to redo them,” I said. “We have to run from here.”
Everyone agreed, and we pulled up our hoods, our only means of disguise in a city that knew many of our faces far too well.
Seeing in her stance that Neve had not regained her strength enough to sprint through the city, I sheathed my sword and gathered her in my arms. She didn’t protest, a sign as sure as any that I’d correctly determined her energy reserves were low.
“Freyia, cover me,” I commanded as we burst out of the coinary.
The guards outside drew their weapons, but I used air magic to blow them off their feet. Their heads knocked against the wall, and the guards slumped to the ground.
We cleared the first street with ease, but the sheer number of fae walking the larger roads made escape more difficult. Weaving around fae, many stared.
“Is that Prince Vale?” one person said after my hood fell down, thanks to a gust of wind. “And his wife?”
Bleeding skies!
Neve did her best to pull my hood back up, but word of our appearance in Avaldenn spread like a ripple of water. We’d made it to Lordling Lane when another alarm sounded.
“That’s the city watch!” The words were no sooner out of my mouth than a shriek pierced my ears.
“I knew it! That whore is back!” Calpurnia screamed. “Stop them!”
“Get that female!” Adila added, her tone as imperious as ever. “The king has a bounty on her head!”
I ignored my cousin and Lady Ithamai, and barreled forth with Freyia at my side and the others steps behind. Luccan’s home was in sight now. Closer. Closer still.
We reached the gate, and I shifted Neve in my arms. The wards around Luccan’s home would allow me in if I gave blood.
“Here!” Luccan slammed into the gate, and at his touch, the wards fell. “Inside!”
We funneled in, Bac last as he was carrying Tanziel on his own. The moment we were safe, Luccan slammed the door shut.
“To the gateway.”
I exhaled for the first time in what felt like many turns, and followed my brother inside, to safety.