Shadow City (37 page)

“That could work,” Alexander mused, examining the layout of the city. “Ilanion could distract them to keep them from realizing that they are being herded.”

“Or he could be bait,” Thor suggested. “If he got hurt or if they thought they could catch him easily, they might get so eager that they won’t think too hard about what they might be running into.”

“I like it,” Oz said.

“It’s a good plan,” Max said. She looked at the winged mage. “If you’re up for it.”

He nodded. “That could work for one or possibly two, but three? There are five members of the Korvad, though I can’t imagine all will participate.”

“Murphy’s Law says they’ll all want in on the action,” Tyler said, and Thor and Oz nodded.

“All right. Then we’ll expect everybody and be happy if we get fewer,” Max said. “Doesn’t change the plan any. We take them in stages. First stage, we harrass them and take out a few of their minions. As many as we can get. Then we melt back. For the second stage, we’ll let them think they are leading us into an ambush. We’d just better make sure we spring ours first. We need to get one or more into a building and drop it on top of them. Let’s hope we catch more than one in the trap. That means Ilanion and Giselle will need to get out in front of us and lure them in. If they shield against the collapse, they’ll have to blast themselves out. My bet is that they’ll drop their guard in order do it. We’ll be waiting.”

“What’s the third stage?” Tyler asked.

“Set the witch-chain trap,” Alexander said. “They will be disoriented and will want to regroup. We will just push them where we want them. After that, if there are any more of them . . .”

“Then it’s up to me and Ilanion to distract them so you can kill them,” Giselle said quietly. “By that time, they’ll have used up enough energy to make our attacks more than just annoying. If they’re angry or frightened, that will only make it harder on them.”

“I don’t like risking you,” Oz growled.

“Worse, it’s going to hurt like hell,” Max said cheerfully. “With your compulsion spells nagging at you to protect her, that is.”

“And if I don’t do it, then we may lose and be taken as slaves. Your compulsion spells will hate that more,” Giselle said quietly.

There was a dark undercurrent to her words that made Alexander wonder what she was thinking. Max caught it, too, and gave the witch a long look.

Before anyone could say anything else, a series of bell sounds resonated through the compound. The floors and ceilings shook, the lamps swayed, and the tables rattled. The sound rode through like a wave and disappeared, leaving behind a profound silence.

“That’s it,” Ilanion said at last, straightening up and putting on his helm. “Ready or not, it’s time to go.”

“Gear up,” Max said, and Oz and her Blades moved swiftly to gather their weapons.

Alexander had little to do but slide on a combat vest. It held dozens of magazines for his .45s in the loops covering the front of it. The guns were already belted around his waist. He also fished out a bottle of single-malt scotch. When everyone was ready, he opened the lid and held it up. Silence fell again.

“To absent friends. May they be proud of our work today.”

He drew a deep drink and passed the bottle to Tyler. One by one, they drank. Tears slid down Max’s cheeks as she took a swig and handed the bottle to Giselle. The witch gasped as she swallowed, the color rising in her cheeks. Then the bottle traveled to Ilanion and the rest of the room.

When they were through, Max took the empty bottle and set it gently on the table.

“How are we getting there?” she asked Ilanion.

“Air barge. Drida, bring Nayan up to the balcony.”

“No,” Max said. “I’ll do it.”

Alexander took her hand. “No. Let them.”

She shot him a blistering look. “Ordering me around, Slick?”

“Yes. Torturing yourself right now will not help us.”

She snorted. “What makes you think I’m torturing myself?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because he’s known you for more than five minutes?” Tyler said. “If you had a whip, you’d probably be beating yourself with it.”

“If I had a whip, I’d be beating
you,
” she said, but she did not pull out of Alexander’s grip.

Ilanion led them up a spiral stairway that opened up on top of his compound. They stepped out on the flat summit of a tall mountain. It was covered with greenery, and waterfalls cascaded down its sides, sending up a veil of mist that swallowed the base of the mountain entirely. Shadows thickened and hid much of the rest of the view, but Max could tell they were still in the Torchmarch from the twining ropes and bridges and the flames that flickered like stars all around them.

The top of the mountain was smooth as glass. Sitting in the middle was the air barge. It looked like an origami blimp made from black paper. It was all sharp edges and angles. On either side, steps led up to a door in the gondola.

Ilanion led everyone onboard, all except for the members of Horngate. Max would not board without Scooter, and Giselle would not board without her. Which meant that none of them left.

Finally, Drida appeared. He pushed Scooter in a stretcher-like basket that hovered several feet off the ground. Alexander was shocked by the demigod’s appearance. He smelled of sickness, and his red and brown scaled skin was slack and loose. Bandages covered his forehead and chest, and his long black hair was dull and crisp. He was barely breathing.

He felt Max stiffen beside him, her teeth grinding together. Then, without a word, she followed Drida and Scooter into the belly of the air barge. Giselle followed, and then went the Blades, Oz and Alexander, the spiked wolf, and the two Grims.

The interior was comfortable, if not luxurious. It had several decks connected by stairs, each much the same. Couches lined the angular walls in odd zig-zag patterns. They were upholstered in soft black leather and polished gold buttons. There were no windows or tables or any other passengers.

“The judge provides transportation,” Ilanion told them as they settled themselves. “It will get us there in time.”

They lifted off, the gondola swinging drunkenly at first and then steadying into a gentle sway. It was impossible to tell how fast they were going. No one spoke except Giselle and Ilanion. They were talking about magic and what to expect of the super-witches.

Max paced uneasily, the spiked wolf watching her. Beyul had sniffed Scooter all over and now sprawled along a couch with his head on his forelegs. Tyler’s Grim was off by itself, watching Tyler with unblinking eyes. Oz and Thor went up the stairs to explore and returned a few minutes later. Oz checked his gear and then sat back to wait. Thor lay down on a couch and pulled his hat down over his eyes. A moment later, he was snoring. Alexander smiled thinly. A handy talent, that.

The trip seemed to take the blink of an eye. Soon he felt them descending. A wave of magic crackled through them, bringing nearly everyone to stiff attention.

“That’s just us passing through the coliseum ceiling,” Ilanion said. “There’s no going back.”

“That’s all right, friend,” Thor said in his slow Texan drawl. “We all came to play.”

A minute or two later, they settled onto the ground. The doors opened, and they descended, stepping out onto a small paved plaza. As soon as they stepped off, the air barge collapsed flat.

Max stood beside Scooter. Alexander joined her, as did Giselle. Thor, Tyler, and Oz arranged themselves to block any attacks on the witch. The two Grims and the Calopus sniffed around in front of them. Beside them, Ilanion stood surrounded by his people. On the opposite side of the plaza, their enemies waited.

“Is that a
dragon
?” Tyler asked.

“It is Kucedre. She is one of the Korvad. Careful of her breath—it will drown you, but not before it melts the skin and flesh from your bones. She has another form, a beautiful woman. She’s very powerful, but she must have time to write her spells out. I’m sure that someone is carrying a bagful of prepared spells for her. Magic has little effect on her in this form, and ordinary arrows cannot penetrate her hide.”

“Ordinary arrows?” Alexander asked quickly.

“My people carry arrows that will pierce her.”

“One thing’s for sure. If we’re going to make our building plan work, we’d better find a hell of a big one to drop on her,” Tyler said.

“I didn’t really expect her to be here. She likes to hang back and let others do the dirty work for her. Asherah must have made a strong impression on her, or she has too much to lose if she doesn’t help. She’ll take to the air,” Ilanion said. “Unless we damage her wings.” He looked at Drida, who nodded and began talking to several of the other gargoyles.

“Tell us about the others,” Max said.

“The good news is that only three showed up. You’ve seen Asherah. Aside from her magic, she’s fast, and her claws will rip through just about anything. She likes to use them, too. They’re naturally poisonous, so stay away from them.”

“Which one is she?” Alexander asked.

“The four-armed woman,” Max said. “Who else?” she asked Ilanion.

“Pradaku. He’s the black panther.”

“Panther? He’s bigger than my truck,” Oz said.

“You have to watch him. He emits a fragrance that steals your will, and you won’t be able to resist. He will enslave you and turn you against your companions. As with the others, he is capable of powerful magic. He can also change form, though he retains his black skin no matter what he looks like.”

“And the rest of them?” Alexander asked.

Ilanion eyed the Korvad’s collection of minions. “The cat heads are pretty obvious. Half jungle cat, half human, all deadly. They are fierce but nothing you can’t handle. The tall, thin ones on the end wearing hoods are what you might call ghouls. They are devourers of flesh and spirit. They are fast and difficult to see when they choose not to be seen, and their bites paralyze. They might give you a little more trouble.”

“How do you kill them?” Thor asked.

“None of these creatures likes iron. An arrow in the eye or the heart will drop them. Or a bullet.”

“That just leaves those four ape-looking things,” Max said.

“I’ve never seem them before,” Ilanion said, frowning at them.

The creatures in question were thick-shouldered and hunched, with arms that hung to the ground. They walked on all fours like apes, although their faces and bodies were human enough. They carried wide, curved swords and wore chain mail and hobnail boots.

Before they could speculate any more about the creatures, a column of white light rose out of the ground between the two groups of challengers. It was a good fifteen feet tall. A figure shimmered into being atop it.

The judge, Alexander guessed. Her head was covered with a white and gray feathered headdress, and her face was hidden behind a white mask that had no eye, nose, or mouth holes. Her flowing robe wrapped her entire body and gave no clue to what she might look like underneath. The only reason Alexander knew she was female was because Ilanion had said so.

“Challengers, step forward,” she said in an ethereal voice that sounded neither male nor female—nor human, for that matter.

Ilanion started to move, and Max pinned him in place with a look. “This is my challenge,” she said. “Stay here,” she told her Blades. She gripped Scooter’s stretcher and pulled him with her as she walked away. The box with his heart was tucked between his feet. As always, the Calopus went with her.

She stopped at the base of the column, just across from Asherah. The creature was dressed in silver-studded leather, her four arms naked except for silver gauntlets that ended at the elbow. Her clawed feet were bare. Her entire presence radiated magic and menace. It was all Alexander could do not to join Max. Beside him, he felt the beasts inside Thor, Tyler, and Oz roaring to the fore. They were no more happy about this than he was.

“You have agreed to the terms,” the judge intoned. “You shall place the prizes in the light. At that time, the first bell will sounds, and you may go prepare as you see fit. When the second bell sounds, the challenge begins. It ends when one side forfeits or dies.”

The judge fell silent, and Max hesitated a moment, then guided the stretcher toward the pillar of light. She stopped and bent down, whispering something against Scooter’s ear. Then she pushed him through. At the same time, Asherah shoved in a twisted horn about three feet long. It glittered with gold and jewels. Next went in a small box, no bigger than Alexander’s fist.

As soon as all four of the prizes were inside, the pillar flashed and hardened. At the same time, a bell sounded, like the one that had summoned them all to the coliseum. It resonated through Alexander’s bones, and the ground trembled beneath him. Max spun around and trotted back to join them.

“We don’t have much time,” she said. “Remember. Hit them fast and hard, and don’t leave anyone alive.” She glanced at Alexander, Thor, Oz, Tyler, and Giselle. “Try not to get dead,” she said softly. “See you when I see you.”

They dispersed. The game was on.

M
AX UNLEASHED HER
P
RIME, LETTING HER
human senses deaden. Hate filled her. The focus was Asherah. For Scooter’s pain and suffering. For Tutresiel and Xaphan. For Niko.