Child of Blackwen (An Artemis Ravenwing Novel Book 1) Page 20

  “Don’t even start, Shadow,” I warned, as I winced from the cramp.

  “Wouldn’t even dream of it,” Shadow replied, trying hard to stifle his laughter. “There are easier ways, you know.”

  “For relieving leg cramps?” I rubbed my leg again. “This usually works for me.”

  “I understand you have a tendency for being masochistic, but there are simpler ways of getting rid of them,” Shadow explained. “Granted, I wouldn’t be as entertained—”

  “Oh, just stop and tell me already!” I snapped.

  “Lie down,” Shadow ordered, walking to the bed. “Lift up the leg that hurts.”

  I did what I was told, and he gently took my cramped leg. He slowly moved it around, and once he angled it a certain way, I felt the cramp lessen.

  “Wow,” I managed to say after the relief from the ache.

  “Feeling better now?” Shadow flashed a smug grin.

  “Yes, thank you.” He let go and stepped back. “Learned that from the fighting days?”

  Shadow ran a hand through his loose dark blond hair; I knew he was tired, but he still seemed as alert as he was when we started the lessons. “Yes. When you run and fight as much as I have, you learn how to remedy such things.”

  “Don’t you ever tire of it?” I asked, folding my arms.

  Shadow nodded.

  “And yet, you still wish to continue fighting.”

  “I will never stop fighting for those I care about,” Shadow answered. He stiffened after he said that. Before I could ask what was wrong, he waved me off. “Someone has to make sure you know what you’re doing out there.”

  I chuckled. “Fair enough.”

  “You should rest.” Shadow made his way to the doorway. “I’ll wake you for breakfast.”

  “Are you implying that we won’t have a morning training session?” I asked, feeling hopeful.

  “I never said that.” Shadow grinned. “Sleep, Artemis.”

  rlina took in the sight of Ellewynth. She always wanted to destroy this city, this so-called gem of the Woodland Realm. Her sister brought shame on the Ravenwing name by serving the Elders of this realm; Arlina would restore its pride by burning it down. Ravenwing women do not serve.

  “Mistress.” Latos appeared by Arlina’s side. “The elven guards have been disposed of. I have stationed some of our soldiers by the gates should more come out.”

  “Well done,” Arlina praised him. “Unload the barrels and place them against the gates.”

  “Yes, my Mistress,” Latos bowed before disappearing.

  The gates of Ellewynth were made of stone; in their first war with the dragons, the elves lost their barricade in a fiery blaze. Arlina would do the same, only with gunpowder and silver bullets she used for her flintlock pistol. She brought enough barrels of them to destroy Ellewynth twice over.

  Arlina walked toward a barrel and was pleased to see a trail of gunpowder link from one barrel to another. She instructed her soldiers to place silver bullets within the gunpowder trail; she was going to make sure that Ellewynth wouldn’t survive to see another morning.

  Her impatience grew when she saw her soldiers lining the farthest parts of the gates with barrels and she yelled for them to place the rest in front of the stone where she stood.

  “Make sure a trail extends to where I am,” Arlina ordered as she took several steps away from the gate.

  “It is too bad that the mage is out terrorizing elves by the veils,” Latos said as he returned to Arlina’s side. “He could have set the city on fire for us.”

  “I did not want to drain his magic,” Arlina said. She took out her flint-lock pistol. “If you value your skin, I would suggest you move back now.”

  Latos moved quickly, and Arlina grinned as her finger moved to the pistol’s trigger.

  After some time walking through the open forest, Karesu settled for tying Talisa’s wrists with a silver rope he’d made to prevent one’s magical abilities from being used. Even so, he kept out his sword; the very one with the strange calligraphy etched into the blade. Karesu held it inches away from Talisa’s back, nudging her occasionally when she stopped without reason.

  “How much longer is it to Ellewynth?” Karesu asked, narrowing his gaze at the back of Talisa’s head.

  He knew the witch would take any opportunity to toy with him, despite being held at sword point.

  Talisa snorted. “We still have quite a walk left to go, vampire mage. I suggest you keep your impatience to yourself.”

  Karesu moved the point of his sword to the curve of her spine and poked it. “I warned you earlier, witch, that it is unwise to anger me.”

  “Yes, yes.” Talisa dramatically sighed. “I’ve heard you several times already.” She faced him. “How does Arlina stomach you?”

  “The question you should be asking is how I stomach her,” Karesu grumbled. He noted Talisa’s puzzled expression. “What?”

  “You truly meant that.”

  Karesu rolled his eyes. “Of course I did.”

  “Who are you, mage?” Talisa asked. He sensed genuine curiosity from her. “Really?”

  “It matters not,” he answered. “Move.”

  Ignoring Talisa’s frown, he forced her to continue walking.

  “If you insist on being boring and repetitive, I’ll just have to find a different way to entertain myself.” Talisa grinned widely. “You won’t say anything about yourself, but maybe I know a lot more about you than you think.”

  It was Karesu’s turn to frown.

  “I’ll listen only if you promise to shut up afterward.”

  “How rude!” Talisa pouted. She flinched when he raised his sword. “Anyways, it’s obvious you’re a full-blood from Blackwen City. Several of us were aware of Arlina’s coming, so you’re definitely one of her whelps. However, you’ve shown that you dislike her. She may be a master of deceit, but she does not realize that her own mage has been playing her. You’ve been playing her for so long that she hasn’t realized her precious mage fell for a dhampir during his schemes. Am I doing well?” Karesu didn’t bother to answer, which made Talisa chuckle. “I must be. Silence speaks volumes, you know.”

  Karesu poked her with his blade, but Talisa only smiled at him.

  “So now we move on to Netira. I’ve heard it on good authority that she was formerly the Second of Blackwen City. My source also mentioned that she was sent here to be blamed for the death of those elves, just because Arlina was angry with her. I’m certain your Mistress must have been furious that her most trusted advisor was something less than her—”

  “Enough,” Karesu growled, with his sword cutting into the back of Talisa’s robe. He only broke the skin as a fair warning. “Enough. Don’t presume to think you know what it’s like.”

  Talisa shivered at the cold steel’s touch. “But I do know.”

  Karesu shut his eyes and counted silently to regain his calm. “What exactly do you know, witch of the elves?”

  “I know that you’re not the only man in this world who loves a dhampir and hides it,” Talisa explained. Karesu couldn’t hide his shock at her statement. “And now, I’m thinking you didn’t kill that elf I found before you captured me. You must have come out here with scouts. Seeing as how you’re the only one I’ve encountered out here, I can only assume you’ve relieved them of their living privileges.”

  She’s a clever one, this witch, Karesu thought. “And what if I did?” Karesu asked aloud. “I’ve still captured you. Perhaps I’m just as evil as they are.”

  “Perhaps you are,” Talisa said, continuing to walk. “Unbind my hands, and I’ll take you to Netira.”

  “I think not.”

  “Your choice, mage.” Talisa shrugged. “Once you make your escape with her and I happen to run across you again…be it several minutes after or years from now, be assured that I will kill you.”

  Karesu had to laugh. “Is it to satisfy your wounded pride?”

  “No one captures me and lives long enough
to tell the tale.”

  Karesu didn’t have a reply. He thought if the circumstances had been different, he could have been friends with the witch. Until then, Netira’s safety was his main priority.

  Karesu realized they were close to the outskirts of Ellewynth, and frowned.

  “You said we had much farther to go.”

  “I lied.” Talisa snorted. “You should have expected that. Even my own apprentice would have.”

  Before Karesu could respond, they were both startled at the sudden explosion of fire coming from the outskirts of the elven city. There were mixed screams of fear, confusion, and battle cries. Karesu recognized the calls from his fellow full-bloods.

  Fire engulfed the stone gate of Ellewynth, the only gate by the common path of the realm. The flames licked at the tree trunks surrounding the city and charred the branches and leaves. Smaller trees within the outskirts were swallowed up by a vermillion blaze, and their embers set fire to other nearby vegetation.

  Arlina had gone ahead to the city without him. He found himself livid; he should have known that she would do this.

  Aerios blow you, Arlina, Karesu thought.

  He noticed Talisa, who had a horrified expression on her face. Looking back to the spreading waves of fire, he grabbed Talisa’s hands and cut the silver rope.

  “What? What are you doi—”

  “Go help your elves,” Karesu cut her off as he sheathed his sword. “Discretion went out the window the moment that bitch set Ellewynth on fire.”

  Talisa studied him for a moment. “I still stand by my word, vampire mage. Don’t think this sudden act of kindness will spare you.”

  Karesu grinned at the witch, which confused her. “I welcome the challenge.”

  Before she could reply, Karesu left her behind and rushed toward the city.

  Arlina was enamored with the chaos that surrounded her. She enjoyed the sight of the flames, and the slow-burning death of the elves brought her a depraved sense of joy.

  Sai drawn, she began to search for her niece. It shouldn’t have been hard, as daughters tended to be the mirror image of their mothers. She grabbed an elf and twisted them into a headlock. Arlina held the tip of a sai inches away from the elf’s eye.

  “Amuse me, my pointy-eared cattle,” Arlina demanded. “Where is the one called Artemis?”

  “Find the vampyra yourself, full-blood bitch,” the elf spat, struggling vainly to break free from her grip.

  Arlina shook her head. “Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

  She shoved the sai into the elf’s eye and twisted it for good measure. Once she felt the body go limp in her grasp, she dropped the corpse and licked the blade of her sai clean. “My, my. It’s true what they say about the elves…the longer you let them live, the better their blood tastes. Perhaps this shall finally change my mind about the old vintages.”

  Arlina looked around and only saw elves and her soldiers fighting one another. There was no sign of Artemis.

  Not yet.

  The blast woke me up.

  When I ran to the window, I was horrified to see the fire that now surrounded Ellewynth. I was even more frightened when I saw unarmed elves being attacked by speeding shadows. The bells above the Hall of the Elders rang—the songs reserved for danger. It could only mean one thing: Arlina was here.

  Avilyne’s hell, I didn’t get out of the city in time.

  “Artemis!” I saw Shadow standing in the doorway, sword in hand. “We need to go.”

  “We’re too late,” I said, still shocked.

  Shadow grabbed my arm and pulled me with him. “I can still get you out of the city.”

  “What about you?” I asked, confused.

  “Don’t worry about me.”

  When we came outside, Shadow whistled a sweet tune. He did so while watching the open forest and didn’t notice a full-blood running toward us.

  The full-blood stopped the moment he saw me; his eyes widened.

  “You’re dead,” he gasped. “It can’t be.”

  The full-blood’s head fell off after I was blinded by a flash of Shadow’s sword. I felt myself take a sharp breath when I saw the head roll across the earth.

  “This is what you will be dealing with, Artemis,” Shadow explained as I watched the blood drip along the blade of his sword. “The dhampir would not have hesitated.”

  I heard a horse’s neigh, and I saw Azrael trot closer to us. Shadow grabbed my waist, hoisted me atop her, and whispered a few words in Elvish in her ear.

  I realized he wasn’t coming along. “Shadow?”

  “She will take you to Talisa’s cottage,” he explained, now looking at me. “Azrael is too fast for any of the full-bloods to chase after. The rare ones who can catch up with her, she’ll trample. You will be safe.”

  “Come with me,” I pleaded.

  Shadow gave me a sad smile. “I can’t. I have to get to Netira before Arlina does.” He took my hand and squeezed it. “You worry too much. I’ll see you before the dawn, I promise.”

  “But—”

  Shadow pushed Azrael off, and I watched him rush back to Ellewynth.

  Please be safe, I thought while holding onto Azrael’s neck.

  “Mistress!” a voice called along the screams.

  Arlina saw that it was one of her scouts. She slashed through an elf’s throat with a sai and licked the blood. “What is it?”

  “There is a woman who looks like your sister, Tamina!” the scout cried. “She tried to escape to the open forest, but our soldiers forced her back into the city. I regret to inform you that we could not contain her. Shall I send reinforcements to aid in her capture?”

  “She will be heading towards the gates…” Arlina murmured. She then shook her head. “I will take care of it myself. Find Latos and tell him to report to me should he come across this Tamina look-a-like.”

  We could not make a clean escape from Shadow’s home to the open forest. As soon as we drew close to it, a large group of heavily-armored full-blood soldiers cornered us. Even with Azrael’s unnatural speed, she would not have made it past them unscathed. We had no choice but to ride into the city and make for the gates.

  I prayed the gates still stood. This inferno grew by the second.

  I felt my jaw and back ache after smelling the blood of both the elves and vampires. I could not let the dhampir run free, not even in the danger I was in.

  Azrael neighed as I saw the gates come into view. Not all of it was destroyed, thank the goddesses. I felt a sliver of hope the closer we rode toward them, but it switched into panic the moment I saw a figure stand by the opening in the gates we hoped to pass. It was a woman with short, red hair, and I felt a knot form in my chest once I saw the same cold, gray eyes that haunted my dreams. The irises shifted to red, and her fanged grin widened as she raised a strange looking pistol toward us. Azrael whinnied and tried to turn away quickly, but we fell to the ground, hard.

  I coughed as I felt pain flare on the side of my body I landed on, and my vision was blurred once I opened my eyes. My senses sharpened as I smelled blood—my own. I could feel the slickness of it once I moved my hand to my head.

  “At last, we meet,” a dark voice said as I heard footsteps move closer to me.

  It was hard to focus on the moving figure, but I didn’t need to see clearly to know that it was her. The voice matched her coldness.

  “Arlina.” I coughed as I tried to get up.

  I cried out once I felt a sharp kick to my stomach. Arlina cackled above me, and I felt myself being rolled over so I could face her. She placed her foot on my chest to pin me down. The sharp heel of her boot pricked my skin through the tunic.

  “Artemis.” She hissed. “Avilyne’s hell, you are the spitting image of my poor, poor sister. Perhaps I should free you from that curse now.”

  “Better to look like her than you, murderer!” I spat.

  I grabbed her ankle and rolled my body so she would fall. She did so, and I started to run away once I got my bearings. My head th
robbed with each step. I was forced to a stop once I heard a loud blast, and I felt the air of some projectile close to my cheek. A burn prickled my skin soon after, and I turned around to see Arlina’s face twist into annoyance.

  “Only a burn, eh?” Arlina sighed dramatically. “It seems the goddesses wish for me to toy with you before you die. So be it.”

  I could not find a weapon nearby, and I knew then that I messed up by not taking one while riding through the city. I felt the monster within try to claw its way out of the cage I forced it into, but I still refused to set it free. I would rather die as Artemis, consciousness retained, than Artemis, the vampyra who slaughtered both friend and foe.

  Arlina dropped the pistol as she rushed after me. I settled for a half-charred branch for a weapon and ran towards her. She knocked the branch out of my hands and struck me hard across the face. The pain in my head tripled and my vision blurred more. Arlina gripped my throat and shoved me against a tree trunk.

  “Pathetic,” she growled. “I wouldn’t enjoy choking the life from you, as weak as you are. Your disgrace of a mother put up more of a fight!”

  My jaw ached and I felt my eye teeth elongate. I could not feel the wings on my back, and with what little strength I had left, I used to cage the monster within. I kicked at Arlina’s waist, but she swatted my leg away with her free hand.

  “Ah, there she is.” Arlina grinned. “Perhaps there is a Ravenwing woman in there after all. We are a feisty bunch, after all. You’re still so helpless though…how disappointing.”

  “Enough of this,” I coughed as I let go of her of arm and reached for her face.

  Arlina moved her head aside as I expected she would, and I used the distraction to kick at her leg. A strange weapon fell from her boot when I did so, and I took the brief moment to shove her away so that I could grab the weapon. I realized it was one half of the weapons she used to fight Mother with, the ones with the thin blades with curved prongs and extensively jeweled hilts. Before I could grasp it, I felt Arlina’s claw-like nails grip my arm. I winced as they cut into my skin and drew blood.