After The Rabbit (Waldo Rabbit Series) (35 page)

“And who better to lead it than you? Celton Poisondagger, head of the Poisondagger family.” Enver placed a hand over his heart and bent his neck ever so slightly.

“I’m not head yet. I still need your help with the rest of the plan. Before anyone finds out my father is dead I need to kill the other candidates. It’s a waste, but the only way I can seize control safely.”

“That is what we agreed upon. All you need do is take me to their rooms and I will deal with them for you. I will be as swift and painless as I can.”

“I only care about quick, it doesn’t matter how much they suffer.”

Enver chuckled. “Being around Lilith I sometimes forget just how cruel families can be.”

“Really? I thought she was as cold hearted as any. The way she sacrificed her spy wasn’t what I would call soft.”

“Oh, she is utterly ruthless, make no mistake there. But she has surprising weak points where her own children are concerned.”

He walked out of the Circle to join Enver by the door. There was no time to waste. The coup had to be over before father’s body was discovered.

“Please tell your mistress that once this is done and I am in control I will keep my word. The feud between our two houses is over. She will have my full support on the Council for as long as we are both on it.”

“I will tell her, you have my word.”

Celton gave his father a last look. “He survived a long time, longer than he should have. He died because he trusted me, even if it was only a little.”

Enver nodded. “Trusting the wrong person can have fatal consequences. After all, what is the old saying?”

The vampire moved so fast Celton never saw the hand that knocked his wand away or the one that grabbed his throat and squeezed it like a vice. He clutched at the arm trying to break free, but it was like trying to bend an iron bar. Enver slammed him against the wall and leaned in close to whisper in his ear.

“Trust is…”

There was a sudden jerk and sharp pain, followed by darkness.

XXX

Lilith sat alone in her study waiting. She could sense her familiar’s approach. Enver entered without bothering to knock and gave her one of his exaggerated bows.

“Celton wanted me to tell you that he planned to honor his agreement and support you on the Council so long as you were both members.”

Her only reply was to raise an eyebrow.

“I promised him I would tell you that.”

“I assume this promise was made before you murdered him?”

“It would have been hard to make otherwise, unlike you I can’t summon spirits.”

“I can sense how pleased you are through the bond. Does this mean everything went as planned?”

“I’m afraid so, it was almost too easy. Celton killed Dante and then I killed him, there were no screams and no guards came.”

“And you
didn’t
feed, correct?”

Enver made a sour face. “No.”

“Did you remember to wipe the Circles clean?”

She could sense annoyance from him.

“I followed your instructions exactly.”

“With no obvious evidence to the contrary they will just assume the two killed each other in a botched assassination.”

“Why didn’t you let Celton do it? I suspect the boy would have kept his agreement, for a while at least. He might have made a decent family head.”

“He would have, that’s why I wanted him dead too. The last thing I want is someone who is actually capable in charge of Poisondagger.”

XXX

Lilith didn’t manage to get much sleep that night. She found a window with a clear view of Castle Poisondagger. As it began to burn she watched with delight.

Chapter 29

Fresh Start

Melissa Cornwall arrived at Norwich the following day. During her travels through Lothas she had never had reason to visit this particular city. Today was clearly not the best day to make a first impression.

The air stank of smoke. There were dozens of columns of white and black smoke still rising over the city. To the right of the gate there was a large gap where come of the outer wall had collapsed. From what she could see there seemed to be nothing but charred ruins.

The city itself was not the only source of smoke.

Outside the main gate there were a pair of bonfires. Carts were being brought out loaded with bodies. Weary men were taking them and throwing them one by one into the flames. By the way they shuffled back and forth as they worked Melissa suspected these men had been at it for many hours.

Coming here Melissa had come across a few refugees who’d been filled with wild tales about liches and armies of undead. People tended to exaggerate, especially when they were scared, but they also didn’t abandon their homes just for rumors. While finding Waldo remained her priority Melissa had decided to offer her services upon her arrival. This was just the sort of problem the Order of Mist was suited for and it would help their reputation in this country. Sadly, she had arrived too late it would seem, but she would offer what help she could while investigating if anyone had seen Waldo. Somehow she never even considered the possibility Waldo might be dead. Melissa was certain to her core that she would get her hands on him.

As she approached the open gate the men there welcomed her. The soldiers on the battlements all took out bows and nocked them. A squad of soldiers approached her with their swords out. She came to a halt and stared. Running into people who distrusted and feared her was nothing new, but they were never openly threatening. Obviously what they had gone through had shaken their wits and they didn’t understand what they were doing. Melissa stood where she was with her hands to her side. She did not take out her wand. A few calming words would ease their fears and then she would meet the local lord and find out how she could help.

“What do you want?” The sergeant in charge asked.

Despite his tone Melissa dipped her head graciously. “My name is Melissa Cornwall of the Order of Mist. I wish upon you the blessings of Unity, Justice, and Peace. I desire to speak with your lord, and offer him whatever aid I can.”

“Duke Griffinheart wants no help from your kind.”

She was surprised at just how blatant the hostility was. Even kings would at least try and disguise how they felt.

“I know there are many stories and rumors about White Mages, but most of them are idle gossip. We seek only to help people.”

“Liar.” One of the soldiers spat.

The sergeant nodded.

“Whatever you might believe it’s for your lord to decide whether or not to accept my help. Can one of you guide me to him?”

“You are not going to meet with the duke.”

“Forgive me, but I don’t think that is your decision to make.”

“It’s the duke’s orders. No White Mages are permitted to enter Norwich.”

Melissa’s eyes widened. “You are barring us? My entire order? Does your lord understand how offensive that is?”

“Not as offensive as stealing his ancestral blade or summoning an army of undead to attack us.”

“What?”

“One of your sort was here and was the duke’s guest, him and his two women. He summoned a horde of evil abominations and stole our lord’s magical sword before they arrived.”

“That is ridiculous and beyond insulting! We are not common thieves and summoning undead is an act of blasphemy! No White Mage would ever do such a thing!”

“We all saw him with his red haired woman and savage. The lich even admitted to being summoned by him, I heard it with my own ears.”

The soldiers all nodded.

With the mention of a red haired woman Melissa got a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach.

“The person who did all this, his name wouldn’t have been Waldo Rabbit would it?”

“So you know him.”

Melissa looked at the bonfires being fed bodies, the ruined section of wall, and at the smoke still rising above the city.
How could one man cause so much harm? It’s been less than two weeks!
When word of this spread it would cause more damage to her order than a hundred false rumors. She was sorely tempted to tell the sergeant the truth, Waldo was not really a White Mage. But she could not, her instructions from Minster Barrows were explicit on that point. It wasn’t likely the truth would be believed anyway, under the circumstances it would sound too much like a lie of convenience.

“I know him, though I am beginning to suspect I know even less than I thought.”

“Then you should know that Duke Griffinheart has declared that until Waldo Rabbit is returned to face trial for his crimes no White Mage will be permitted to step inside Norwich.”

“You cannot put a member of my order on trial. Local lords have no authority over us.” It was bizarre to be defending someone she knew was not actually a White Mage. The principle was what needed to be defended though.

“Maybe it’s time for that to change. You whites act like small gods, you should answer for your crimes like anyone else.”

Melissa’s back stiffened. She was not used to being spoken to this way. “We serve a higher purpose, we cannot be constrained by archaic laws or petty local authorities.”

“Yeah, you do whatever you please.” One of the soldiers said. “That’s why no one trusts your kind.”

“Everyone knows you keep secrets.” Another soldier said.

It was the same problem as always. Her order fought for the greater good, which often required committing small evils. People couldn’t understand because they could never see beyond their own selfish desires.

“Whatever your duke believes he is making a horrible mistake. Kings and queens welcome us, we can travel anywhere we please in the Shattered Lands except to Alteroth. If he truly means to bar us from his city there will be consequences.”

The sergeant raised his sword a few inches and widened his stance. Unspoken his men spread out a bit. “If you want to try and ignore my lord’s order you will regret it white.”

Melissa shook her head. “I will not. If it is your duke’s will that I be turned away I shall go, but please inform him that his decision will not be forgotten.”

Melissa had no choice but to leave.

XXX

Lancel and his men arrived two days later.

On his way he’d come across some villagers who’d been fleeing south. The story they’d told had been ridiculous. Liches and skeletons and walking corpses were the stuff of children’s stories. Maybe they existed beyond the border where the black wizards ruled, but not here. Passing through his first empty village with desecrated graves he began to wonder. When he saw his third he put his horse into a gallop.

Unlike Melissa, he and his men were welcomed when they finally arrived. The soldiers at the gate cheered him and were quick to tell him that his father was wounded, but not severely. They also told him that yes, they really had been attacked by an army of undead led by a lich. There was also something about a White Mage who’d stolen Lawgiver and been the one to summon the abominations in the first place. That sounded even more outlandish than the tale of an army of undead storming through the countryside.

The sight of the broken wall was hard to accept. Like everyone else in Norwich he’d never doubted the strength of these walls. Seeing a section of them ripped down made him wonder what other false assumptions he’d had. Almost as unsettling were the pair of bonfires and the wagonload of rotting corpses being carted out to them. The dead were supposed to be buried, not burned up like trash. The sergeant in charge had told him that it was his father’s orders. They did not know exactly how many had been killed, but the number was staggering, perhaps as high as three thousand. Some of the old stories said that those killed by the dead would rise as well. His father could not know for certain, but would take no chances. The departed who had not been consumed when Norwich burned would go into these fires. All the corpses were to be destroyed.