Blood Of Fire (The Blood Burden Series) (29 page)

Though the reluctance was clear in their
faces they all nodded and divided up into two teams.  Nicole walked around the
front team as Shala told her everyone's names.  She tried to quickly associate
each warrior's slightly unique pull with a name.  When she felt that she had a
good handle on the links she stepped back and talked to each warrior by name
telepathically.  She couldn't help but giggle at some of the shocked and
startled expressions on the hardened warriors' faces when she spoke.

When both teams were ready she signaled
Claude who was perched on a watch tower above.  The enemy team would be coming
from the opposite side of the field and though she could feel them there she
couldn't see them.  She didn't wait for the gun shot to signal game on
—
she pressed her
power forward imagining it drilling into each mind on the far end of the
field.  It licked and swirled like invisible flames as it tried to taste each
mind, dancing along every wall until it found a weakness.  Most of the minds
were simple to touch.  They had grown accustomed to her not trying to break in
so they weren't paying close attention but she knew the second she ran across
Scarface's mind.  It was locked up tight.  Each time she pressed forward the
shield blocking her pressed back.

Not wanting to test her luck she pulled
back.  The news that she could penetrate blocked minds was a little secret she
wanted to keep to herself.  Pushing too hard on Brien could give her away when
he was making such an effort to conceal his thoughts.

Scanning the field one last time she
turned her attention on the people around her.  "Team one up the right. 
Team two will go left once the first shot is fired."  Nicole nodded to
both groups then added, "From here on out remain silent.  Speak to me in
your mind and listen for my orders.  Stay hidden until I tell you to
fire."

Kade grunted in Nicole's direction as he
led the first group away.  Nicole took the sound as agreement as she watched
the unit move up the side of the field. 
Send two into the first building.
 
Instantly, and to her relief, Kade signaled the two men flanking his lift side
to split off into the building.  The unit quickly moved out of Nicole's sight
so she switched tactics and monitored the tugs in her mind that linked her to each
warrior.

The blue team was approaching but
cautiously.  No burst of speed or showing off.  They were playing everything
just as they would in a real battle.  The first troop of the blue team was
about to reach Nicole's first hidden soldier, Terry.  She was a small framed
woman standing just over five foot who, aside from her skill with fire, looked
very much normal.  She had taken cover behind what used to be a complete
building.  But now it was no more than a two battered walls creating an 'L'
shape with one broken window.

Terry
, Nicole spoke via their
connection, o
n my count fire out the window.  He's about to run past you to
take out a bigger target.

What?
She huffed. 
Like I'm not a
threat.

Three…Two….One...Now!
  Silence was
all she heard then a torrent of profanities broke the calm.  A warrior walked
out to the middle of the field and yelled, "I'm dead," then sat down
shaking his head and mumbling under his breath.

Got him,
announced Terry
proudly to Nicole.

Great job.  Now move to a safe area.
  Nicole
motioned for her half of the team to follow her.  Most of the enemy was moving
toward the action on the right side of the field just as she expected.  She led
her team around the first dirt mound then signaled for Jake, Rain and a young
man who looked like he should still be in high school named Scott over to the
next building.
Scott upstairs, Rain take the bottom floor.  Jake, post
around back.

Creeping through the next two sections
Nicole and Shala took a spot behind two large boulders. 
Kade, there's a
pair coming up from behind
—

I feel them
, he snapped
back in her mind.

The urge to teach him a lesson was hard
to pass up but instead she said,
They are going to knock the wall on top of
you so you need to do it first.
  Within seconds she heard the wall crashing
to the ground and could see the rising plume of dust and smoke just a few
hundred yards away. 
Finish them before they can get free of the debris.
  
Two things happened in the next second.  The tug that signaled Kade was
approaching the downed targets told her that two more warriors were out of the
game but in the same moment she felt the heat of fire.  In her distraction she
let Scarface slip in on her and Shala.

Before she could react Shala tugged her
forward in a run, "It's not a fatal hit."  The two blurred into the
next building taking the stairs two a time to the second floor.  The room was
empty with scorched walls and the floor boards were worn thin.  Once they
stopped Nicole checked the burnt spot on her shoulder.  Yellow cloth showed
through the hole in her jumpsuit confirming Shala's non-lethal assessment. 
Back
to it
.  Nicole spoke to Shala's mind with a small smile.

Do you feel that?
asked Shala
silently

Yes.
  Nicole could feel Scarface was
approaching them quickly along with the other members still alive in his team. 
Something was off.  The way he had shot her in the shoulder when he could have
easily gotten a fatal hit didn't seem right.  And how he kept his mind locked
up like a steal trap.  It all left a pit in her stomach as she rolled the facts
around in her head.  Then Shala's words from the first day of training replayed
in her head,
Brien never misses.  That's his gift.

It's a trap.
Nicole's mind
wrapped around the thought just as the first fireball hit the bottom floor.  He
was going to set the building on fire with her and Shala in it.  He wasn't
playing by the rules any more.

"What is going on?"  Shala
blurted out loud as her eyes went wide.

Nicole bolted to the window.  Studying
the terrain below the shimmer of the brackish pond caught her eye.  "Seems
Brien is out for my head but don't worry, I've got a plan."

Smoke began to fill the room as the
lower half of the building started to burn.  The old, dry wood wouldn't take
long to become an inferno so Nicole had to act fast.  Focusing on the water she
held both palms out.  A blue glow pooled in her palm and crept around to the
back of her hand until it painted its way to her fingertips.

"What the hell?"  Shala stared
past Nicole to the wall of water that was forming.  It pulsed and shrunk back
into the pond only to repeat the process again each time growing taller until
it was three stories tall.

Nicole smiled and nodded toward the
growing wave, "That's my plan."

Coughing Shala covered her mouth and
nose with her shirt, "Hurry.  I can't stand this much longer."

Nicole nodded.  The smoke was becoming
very thick but to Nicole the heat building was much worse.  The air in her
lungs felt hot enough to cook her insides and almost too thick to breath.  She
pushed for one final build of the wall of shimmering water just as another fire
ball slammed into the window.  Shards of glass pummeled the team but worse,
Nicole lost her control on the wave and it plummeted back into the water. 
"Not good." She bit off the words through gritted teeth. 
Scott,
Rain, Jake.  We need some help.  Try to distract Brien so I can put out this
fire.
  Nicole channeled the thought to the three waiting warriors she had
dropped a few hundred yards back.

We're on it,
replied Scott
in Nicole's mind.  Instantly she felt the trio join together then dart in her
direction.  The air around Nicole was becoming dark and the orange glow from
the fire crept through the cracks of the old floor.  Time was slipping away
fast and there wasn't enough left for her to pull water to help them.  She
aimed her hand at the wall on the side of the room that was opposite to
Scarface and fired.  Splinters of wood blew out into fresh air but a fire
ringed hole remained.  "We've got to jump."

"The fall will break our
legs." Shala was hesitant but she moved toward the stream of fresh air
that was taunting her just outside the room.

Nicole tackled her sending both of them
out the hole, "Trust me." Nicole grunted as they began to fall.  Just
as they cleared the building Nicole called wind to them and it pressed against
her feet slowing the fall.  They hit the ground smoothly in a cloud of dust and
smoke without a sound.

Though they made a silent escape the
place sounded like a war zone.  The roar of the burning building, the blast of
fireballs as they collided with stone and wood, and the shouts of Claude all
rumbled into one, loud inferno of chaos.  Black smoke was blotting out the sun
allowing them to see only nondescript shapes and dark shadows a few feet ahead
of them as they blurred forward.

We have to circle around.

Why?  He's trying to kill us.  We should
just keep going until one of the others takes him out.

No, he's trying to kill me, not you. 
You can go on but I'm heading back to finish this.
  Nicole started
to veer left but was pulled to a stop by Shala.

Do you really think I would let you go
back in there alone?

"This isn't a training game
anymore, Shala." Nicole blurted out loud. "You don't like me so I
wouldn't expect you to fight by my side
.
" Nicole was honest.  The
game was great training for war but she never was delusional enough to believe
any of these warriors would obey her let alone be loyal.  She was sure the
first clear shot any of them had they would make her a bad memory.

Shala leaned in close with a hard look
in her eyes.  She spoke with just her mind,
I don't have to like you or what
you are but I do care about what you're trying to do.  Not right now, not in
this stupid standoff with Brien
—
I'm talking about you uniting the
races again and putting an end to this ridiculous feud.

Nicole studied Shala suspiciously. 
Why?

Shala laughed,
You really don't have
a clue what this bitterness has done to everyone do you?  I lived in the
kingdom too.  I grew up there with my family.  I had friends that were fae
—
best friends. 
Then everything fell apart.  I was forced to go or risk looking like a traitor
to my people but I never wanted a war.  I only longed for my life back.

Genuine pain clouded Shala's face. 
Nicole could tell the memories of her past hurt her as she replayed them.  She
patted her on the shoulder,
Glad to know I've got one person on my side
here.

The edge of Shala's lips turned up
slightly,
You have a lot more than you know.  Scott, Rain and even
—
The hiss of a
fireball streaking through the air above them cut her short.  They moved
forward again to where the battle was playing out.

Nicole threw out an arm, "Stay
behind me," she yelled as she called wind to her.  With a whip of her
hands she sent the wind rushing forward clearing away all the thick, choking
smoke.  Once the world around them was clear again Nicole's eyes locked onto
Scarface as he deflected Scott's blast with his own orb.  Nicole and Shala
ducked as the rogue blast streaked over their heads.  The time to end this was
now, while Brien was on the defensive. 
Is the other twin still alive?
 
She could feel his presence on the edge of the field but he wasn't moving in on
the action.

No, he's out of the game.  All of the blue
team is out except for Brien,
replied Scott telepathically.

Okay.  Wait for my signal to fire again.
  Nicole took
off running but only at a human speed.  She dodged around a burning pile of
wood and several mounds of dirt until she was in front of Brien.  "You
tried to kill me," she yelled.

He smiled smugly, "It's all just a
game, doll.  But sometimes there are accidents."  He threw flames in a
blur of movements but Nicole was faster.  She deflected the fire with a whip of
wind then sent the gust out to wrap around him like a cocoon.

Once she was sure she had him completely
under control she allowed the wind to open just over his face.  The hard lines
of his forehead and snarl of his lips made Nicole smile, "Accidents are
very unfortunate but when it's at the expense of one of your own people,"
Nicole pointed to Shala, "It becomes cold and pointless don't you think? 
You were willing to sacrifice a fellow warrior just to kill me," Nicole
commanded the cocoon to tighten around him until she could see the panic building
in the tightness of his face.  The fight went out of him and fear replaced the
hate as he struggled for breath.  "Lucky for you I am just playing a
game."  She commanded the wind to open up at his chest then nodded at
Scott.  He sent a small fireball into the target that quickly burned away the
outer layer of Brien's jumpsuit exposing blood red material.  "Game
over."