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Before dawn came the wind shifted and brought the smoke to the top of the wold. Dusk found it hard to breathe as they stood around their cart, weapons ready, waiting for the murderers that were headed their way. They’d spent a long time watching the torches travel across the plains and when it became clear that they were going to climb the hill and head directly for the camp, they went back to the cart. At first Dusk thought they would run, making their way toward Birchwood in the darkness. But, as Tara explained, the down was too steep, the cliffs too treacherous, and they stood a better chance of survival standing their ground rather than wandering in the pitch darkness. As much as he hated it, he knew she was right. Together they circled up, taking positions so that they could keep watch and hide if anyone came within sight. They hoped to avoid a fight all together if they could.
The dawn came cold and foggy from the smoke. The entire wood was plunged into a gray haze that made it almost impossible to see much more than a few feet. Heavy smoke settled into the forest as the breeze completely died. All Dusk could smell over the haze was Maribel’s flowery scent that seemed to be the only thing that could drive it away. He expected to hear the sounds of animals as the forest came to life for the day, but everything was silent. With shirts and dampened spare fabric wrapped over their mouths, the group stood their ground. Even Nedarya had her sword drawn, staring into the fog, her normal innocent look replaced by one of concentration and malice. To Dusk it looked as if she was itching for a fight, her blade thirsty for blood. The gleam in her eyes was unmistakable. After being murdered and resurrected by the same man, Dusk found it hard to blame her. As much as he didn’t want to admit it to himself or anyone else, killing had brought him some strange solace on their journey. It felt good to defend himself, even if it resulted in the deaths of his pursuers. At the very least, it provided a way to release stress.
A twig snapped in the distance and all four of them turned at once to face the noise. From out of the haze stepped a figure cloaked in black. Dusk felt his heart drop. When the bar maiden had mentioned villages being burned to the ground he’d had a single thought as to who might do such a thing, but hadn’t mentioned it. He thought it couldn’t be possible that they were so close again, like they somehow always seemed to be. But as the figure stepped forward and pulled back his hood, revealing the ashen gray skin on his face, he knew it was true. Somehow the Circle had found them again.
“Quite the slippery little wench aren’t you?” the man growled, his eyes fixed on Nedarya. “Master Tiernan will be happy to have you back at last. That and all the pieces you stole from him. He doesn’t take kindly to thieves.”
“And I don’t take kindly to murderers,” she hissed back, her sword flashing in front of her.
“As if you or your family are any better,” the man replied, taking another step forward. He unsheathed his sword, but Dusk could see the pouch at his side that was much more dangerous should he use it.
“Stop right there,” Tara yelled, putting herself between Nedarya and the stranger. “You don’t want to come any closer than that if you want to live. We outnumber you four to one. You don’t have a chance even with your magic.”
The man began to laugh at that, looking Tara up and down. “You must be Captain Tordovic. Tiernan said this bitch of his would run straight back to her lover. He was right, as usual.” He looked her over again, then glanced back at Nedarya. “If you wanted someone that burly to sleep next to at night, you could have gotten yourself a man. And probably a better-looking one.”
Dusk could hear Tara grinding her teeth together in anger, but to her credit, she kept still.
“I said leave. If you want to live,” she snarled, her voice low and gravely. “But I’d be happy to castrate you right here in front of everyone if you wish.”
“You don’t scare me, Captain.” The man spread his arms, gesturing to the haze. From within almost a dozen more figures began to emerge, pulling their hoods back and brandishing weapons. “I think you’ll find you’re the ones outnumbered, not the other way around. And I’d like to see you try.”
Dusk glanced around at the Circle members closing in around them. As far as he could make out, not all of them were equipped with the powdered dragon skeleton, but all of them were brandishing weapons that were still stained with blood and ash from the previous night. It was obvious they meant to murder them all on the spot. Dusk was surprised they hadn’t realized who he was yet, but he kept his hood up and pulled forward. If he had to use the crystal, he didn’t want them to see it coming. He kept his fingers taut on the bowstring, an arrow nocked between them. Their leader would have to be the first to go and Dusk was ready to put an arrow between his eyes as soon as he moved.
Nedarya stepped out from around Tara, sheathing her blade. “If you want me that bad, come and take me,” she said, spreading her arms wide. She glanced around at the others that were closing in, stopping on each of them in turn. “May the best woman win.”
The leader laughed at her, his free hand going to his stomach. “I doubt we’ll have any trouble picking up a waif like you. You’re lucky you managed to sneak off in the first place.”
“Obviously Tiernan didn’t tell you everything,” she replied, pulling up her sleeves. “If he had, you never would have announced yourselves. Say hello to death for me, I miss her.”
With that, Nedarya threw her arms wide before slamming them back together, clapping her hands so loudly that it echoed through the forest. The split second before her hands came together Dusk watched as a trail of bright light lit up, running from her shoulders to the backs of her hands. When her palms came together several star-like lights burst from her fingertips, shooting around the small clearing. Each one found its mark, sinking deep into several of the Circle members. They penetrated deep into their bodies and there was a brief moment of silence after their pained cries. She looked up at the leader who was trying to stop the blood that was flowing from his chest. She gave him a wicked smile and lifted one of her hands up next to her face. Then, with a single snap of her fingers, the lights exploded within their bodies. Their eyes and mouths lit up with a flaming radiant light before they collapsed to the ground, smoking and charred from within.
Dusk couldn’t believe his eyes. Every single one of the Circle members she’d targeted was dead in less than ten seconds. The smell of burning flesh was nauseating, even though the wrapping he had over his mouth to block out the smoke. Glancing over to Nedarya he watched her swoon on the spot, eyelids flickering, before she collapsed to the ground in a heap. Eight of the Circle members had fallen, including all the ones that had pouches at their sides. There was a moment of silence between them, shock evident on everyone’s faces over what had just transpired.
Tara was the first to break out of it as she lifted the sword over her head, barrelling towards the nearest figure. Before he could bring his blade up to block her swing, the giant greatsword came crashing down, severing through one of his arms and lodging itself deep in his ribcage. He collapsed to the ground in a heap of blood and viscera as the blade came free. Tara snarled down at his body, turning on the spot to find her next victim.
Dusk pulled his bow up next, spinning on the spot and letting his arrow fly at the first standing body he saw. The arrow sunk into the woman’s chest on her right side. She cried out, clutching at it, but before she could take another breath blood began to well up out of her mouth. He’d pierced one of her lungs. He turned away from her, knowing that she’d never make it to him before she drowned in her own blood. Lex was behind him, clashing with another member who wielded a sword much heavier than his. Although he was fast, his blade was easy to knock away. Dusk nocked another arrow and sent it flying, catching the man in the shoulder. It gave Lex just enough time to slip his blade between the man’s ribs and give it a sharp twist. He crumpled to the ground instantly.
Another came rushing at Lex with a greatsword high and ready to chop him in half. Tara was right behind him, but her blade missed as she swung to try to stop him. Dusk didn’t have time to cry out. The cloaked man swung and in one fluid motion, Lex ducked to the ground, kneeling so that the massive blade swept over his head. Without averting his gaze from the man he’d just stabbed through the heart, he turned his body and jammed his rapier upward. The blade drove through the man’s jaw and up out of the top of his head. For a brief moment they were locked in position, the haze swirling around them. Lex gave his blade a wicked twist, spun around, and kicked the man in the chest. A trail of thick blood sprayed through the air as the blade came free and the body fell to the ground, having already been dead for a few seconds as it stood. Lex nonchalantly walked over, ripped a piece of the man’s cloak off, cleaned his blade, and put it back in it’s sheath. Behind him Maribel sat contentedly chewing on grass, blissfully unaware of the entire situation that had transpired.
He turned back to see both Tara and Dusk staring at him in silence with looks of awe on their faces.
“What?”
“That was... actually pretty cool,” Tara said before she could help herself, dropping the tip of her blade to the fallen leaves below.
“I told you that the other sword was too heavy,” he replied, adjusting his shirt. “I’m more comfortable with this one.”
Dusk didn’t say anything as he put his bow back over his shoulder, keeping his eyes on Lex. It was the first time he’d seen him fight like that and it stirred something in him that made him want to kiss Lex fiercely. Instead, he turned his attention to Nedarya who was still lying on the ground in a heap of fabric. Walking over to her, he knelt down at her side, taking one of her arms in his hand.
Tara leaned her sword against the cart and knelt down beside him as well. “How did she do that?” she asked, lifting her head off the ground and placing it on her lap.
Dusk could see a line of scars going up her arm. “There’s something here,” he said. With his finger, he touched one of the scars. Instead of it being soft and fleshy, there was something hard, like a stone, under the surface. “I think Tiernan did more to her than we know.” Dusk glanced up at Tara, a serious look on his face. “He turned her into a weapon of some kind.”
“I’ll kill him the next time he shows his face,” she hissed, brushing the hair out of Nedarya’s face gently.
“I think we’re all trying to do that,” Lex replied as he stepped up beside them. “Were they only after her, or after us?”
“I don’t know,” Dusk murmured, still examining Nedarya’s arm. “But they didn’t seem to recognize who I was. They’ve seen what I can do when I know people are coming.” He glanced around at the bodies that surrounded the clearing. “Lex, gather up those pouches. We might be able to use some of that dust if they come looking for us again.”
“Good idea,” he nodded.
“I guess we know why they’re after her now,” Dusk added, looking at Tara. “Whatever she has inside her is almost as powerful as the crystal eye. It seems like it behaves in the same way. Although I don’t know what she did. That magic was incredible.”
“And dangerous,” Tara added, looking down at the small woman in her lap. “Her breathing is really shallow and her pulse is weak. It must have taken a lot out of her.”
“She’ll come around,” he replied, laying her arm down gently. “Just give her some time. Once she wakes up make sure she eats and then we can ask her what's really going on.”
Tara nodded as Dusk pushed himself to his feet. Slipping her hands under Nedarya’s limp form, she picked her up and brought her over to the cart. Dusk spread out their bedding and Tara set her gently down on top of it. The sun was rising higher in the sky and the breeze had begun to pick up, driving some of the smoke out of the trees. Lex came back with a bundle of pouches filled to the brim with the magic dust clenched in his fist.
“I’m gonna tie these up tight and hide them away. Hopefully they can’t track them.”
“They can’t,” Dusk replied, hopping up on the back of the cart. “They had to find maps for the dragon skeletons, so I don’t think they can track the powder either.”
“Do you think there are more of them around?” he asked, looking up at Dusk and Tara.
“Let’s hope not,” Tara replied, climbing up into the driver’s seat. “I’m getting tired of fighting for my life every other week.” She paused for a moment, pulling the reins up. “How many more can there possibly be? We’ve done so much damage to the Circle already, yet they keep sending more people and monsters after us. They can’t be endless.”
“I don’t think they’re going to run out,” Dusk said. His gaze fell to Nedarya before turning back to Tara and Lex. “Tiernan already knows how to bring people back from the dead. That makes it much easier for him to keep his army fully stocked.” He paused for a moment, a thought clicking in his brain. “But something has changed. I don’t know what, but Tiernan is doing some incredible things and quickly. Things I couldn’t dream of doing with the crystal eye without dying or being unconscious for long periods of time. How is he pulling all this off?”
Lex gave a sideways glance to Tara before looking at Dusk. “I have no idea, but if you could tone down the ominous warnings a bit, that would be great.”