Shadow Queen (23 page)

In Lee’s eyes were a fire.  An undaunted build of something burning that he has held back for the year I’ve known him again.   Trying to read his intention, I fluidly slid a knife from my back belt corner, jabbed it under Borgon’s arm where it was most easily accessible, and watched as Lee Dyer threw himself across the front of me when the sword swung around and pierced his chest where my neck was distanced to equal. 

Borgon screamed out in anger and flew in reverse to come back around, but Lee wasn’t through.  He anticipated it somehow.  Without much thought or power, I punched Borgon in the gut just in time to make him fall.  He took the sword with him, but Lee was not hit again. 

The gurgle of his blood spurt around me like a warm breeze, it was so much.  “Hold on Lee.”

“CORD!”  I screamed with everything I had.  I know all that happened was a matter of a minute, maybe two, but they couldn’t be far.  They fell in the blast with me, but had to have recovered right along beside me and watched the events taking place.  I couldn’t see how it could have escalated to this point knowing Cas would have attacked Borgon long before he had me dragged away.  But he hadn't.

Frantically I searched the yard.  It was empty.  There was no sign of Cas or Szar or Cord.  Or Borgon.

I screamed out his name again. 

“Ana—stacia,” Lee was spitting as much blood as he was pouring it from him side. 

“CORD!”

“He’s not coming.  They have them all tied to the ground on the back of the grounds.  I came,” he stopped to choke on his own blood, “as soon as I knew he wasn’t at the Hunter court.  He wanted you to be here.  I’m sorry I failed you.”

What was I to do?  Say? 

CAS
!  I screamed in my head.

No answer came.  For once, I was scared to death.  I didn’t know what to do.

“Hold on Dyer.  You are going to be fine.  Cord will be here to heal you and you will be back together.”

He laughed through his pain.  “That’s what I love about you.  You never give up.”

“You can’t let him win either.  You fought all this time.  You were always on the good side, I knew it all along.”

“Then don’t let him win.”  His breathing became more ragged, more separated.  I held my hand to his wound hoping to seal it from pumping out more. 

“Dyer Lee, you shouldn’t have done this,” I screamed and cried out together. 

His garbled smile fell across his face, “The goddess girl cries for me.”

“Don’t!”

“Then don’t let him win.  Don’t die, Anastacia.”

His face twisted up.  I lifted my eyes only to look for anyone to come to our aid and when I looked back, Lee’s breathing was still.  The puffs of his chest weren’t moving.  I shrilled my voice to the highest I could vowing to Borgon that he would be dead before the day ended.

The vision came true.  My mind dizzied, but I took a breath.  I couldn't stop and let it take over me.

Lying Dyer down, I scrubbed blood off the front of me and stood.  He really was gone.  Forever. 

Being strong wasn’t in my makeup like they thought.  I cannot do it.  I cannot lose anyone else.  Not because I was afraid of death, but at the expense of me being the cause.  Borgon’s revenge wasn’t just affecting his own family but many, many families.  It just wsan’t fair.

After forcing myself to refocus my attention away from the sole idea of
revenge
myself, I considered the side where the cars were.  Cas had said there were over fifty on that side alone.  If they were tied down from being knocked out from the blast, they were most likely guarded.  The goal would be to make me mad enough to mess up.  Killing Dyer Lee did that well enough.  But I wouldn’t act stupid in the idea that he thinks I might. 

Heading back inside and down to the the guard’s station was a bust too.  Sure enough, the door was locked.  I banged on it saying whom it was hoping to be greeted by Valkyrie and knowing the walls were temporary from Borgon’s previous attack.   The door opened about the time Calum came running up to the back of me.  Two of my brother’s head guards, who I remember to be technology driven gurus, were armed and watching the scene from the cameras.  Or rather, were not.  The cameras were offline.    They were on Szar's phone.

I didn't get to ask about the other controls for the building because Calum stopped me.

“Stace.  You are okay?” He halted just in front of me before seeing the blood.  “What the hell happened?  Is that your blood?”

I shook my head no and counted the Hunter guards he had with him.  “Who else came?”

“There was a bomb at the court.  It’s in pieces.  Everyone is there cleaning.  I got a text from Thorn just before it hit that you were being raided.  I couldn’t get out that fast.”

“Well, it was too late,” I flashed anger at him.  Liam charged around the corner.

His face crumpled, then came back to serious.  “What has happened?”

My anger boiled, but Calum’s hard look of automatic revenge for anything I would veer as bad made me fall to his arms.  He hugged me to him, weapons and all. 

“Lee is dead, Calum. He killed him.”

His shoulders tensed and released me.  His right arm swung out and hit the wall, shaking it like a dead tree.  The men beside us gasped.    “You are safe now.  Tell me where the others are.”

"I couldn't find Cord to save him," I stuttered.

"Tell me how to save the rest then.  Breathe."

I stumbled through telling him what Lee said before he died and the last of what Cas told me before the blast. 

Calum told the guards to stay where they were, continue to work at getting the cameras back online.  Many of the court patrons were refusing to stay hidden and kept meeting us in the hallways to fight.  I would never say no feeling that it is our born right as Valkyries to fight.  We may be quiet group on the battlefield, but we are dead on with stealth.  Hunters on the other hand, are
never
quiet.

Calum had an occasion to but not at the moment.

Bustling through the last exit before we would end up at the smaller back smaller back terrace door that would lead to where my friend Lee indicated Borgon had the rest, I grabbed Calum by the bicep and made him stop.  Startled at the halt, he followed my fingers, iron faced and ready to take the world on.

“Calum, make sure you aren’t captured too.  I can’t do this alone.”

“Stace, you have never been alone yet.  We can do this.” His hardness turned tender, the green of his eyes edging out more as he looked down.  The electricity popped and fused inside me, but I didn’t start with the feel of it. 

“We should use this to our advantage out there.”

“Already thinking up the possibilities,” he smiled devilishly. 

“That is a part of Calum Freakalicious Green I will always love,” I awarded him with the smile he needed as much as me.  His head cocked sideways in anticipation.  “No matter the event of distress, you will always have a determined spirit.  Even with me all this time, you never see my faults.  You always find the best of everything.  I love that about you.”

He flinched at my words.  I didn’t apologize for something that is true.  I was never in love with Calum Green, but I will always love his spirit and loyalty.  He is a very lovable man whether he wants to freely give that to another or not.  My hope is still that he finds someone one day that will make his spirit come alive with his love. 

I reached up and kissed his cheek, sending current through us both.  “Let’s do this.”

He nodded accordingly with never a word, and practically knocked my court’s mostly metal door off the hinges with a size fifteen boot print down the middle of it.   

Like a concert stage, Borgon stood dead center with Cas, Cord, and Szar strategically placed like the points of a star in front of him. Szar was the only one conscious. The Godslayer at Borgon’s side, he was surrounded by five other men on either side and a circle of Elvish “friends” making a semi circle around my friends.  I chanced a look around the field for my father, Lord Jetten, or anyone who would help with this endeavor only to see we were alone in the feat.  I sometimes wondered if it was done on purpose as if my father told all the masses to back off because the goddess child chosen one was here, for
she
is the only one who can save the day.  It was so against the way of life he brought me up on, it irked me.  But pouting never got me anywhere except with Cas when I wanted his closeness.  And that was never something he was reluctant to hold back on.

The grounds were dusted with a mist in the air that I hadn’t noticed on the front lawn since the muted yellow spotlights were all on in the back.  I could smell the hints of gunpowder I guessed was used in the blast. We rarely used modern weapons, so it was speculative.  Anyone in any faction who did use them unpredictably was excommunicated or found suddenly dead.  It has been since before I was born that the crime was committed. Until today.

The selective lighting made me wonder about the cameras and who was controlling the grounds.  I couldn’t see how the backlights were on and not certain other areas of the court.  It was nearing twilight outside, but the inside pearlescent lights should also all be aglow.  Cas was weakened by the sun, but not artificial light.  I wasn’t worried about that part, at least.  

Seeing the three of them tied with arms and legs spread, without a means to just uproot and join my side bit me in the butt.  I surveyed the distance it would take to cross the yard and allow Calum and I to come from opposite angles.  Borgon’s recruits would put ten on each of us within seconds not including the ten flanking his right and left.

              Since Calum’s entrance was not on the quiet side, it was time to act.  I grabbed Calum’s bow from his back, just like Aqhat did from Anat, from his back and sent a single arrow flying over Borgon’s head for the fun of it.  I could have killed him then.  I
should
have killed him then.

              Calum stole it back, “Uh, oh.  No way are you making that old story come true.  I heard you telling Maze about the bow stuff with Orion.  The bow stays with me.”

              I complied with a needed smile.

Borgon bellowed out a great laugh for our benefit as I shimmied over the side of the ledged wall exactly adjacent to the back of him. His boffing cackle clicked off the second my hands vaulted over.  I saw Calum go left out of my peripheral around the back of the Elves.  We never discussed any strategy other than our electric pulses and yet we went opposite directions. 

              It didn’t take long for Borgon to scream out something profane in the attempt to gain my audience.  I let his taunts go until he threatened to remove Szar’s legs to force my return.  It was now or never.

              “If you really want me dead so bad, why am I still here and your little Nara…is not.”  I deliberately walked with ease around the far end of the separation in the wall that would open to Borgon’s left and require him to turn his back to my guys.   I saw that a Vampire faced Cas was awake and expected his “extra strength” to help him escape, but it didn’t.  He was weakened by the sun, maybe?  Or something else. Cord was shifting and noticeably changing from Were and back again as he woke.  Stopping just inside the tall hedge of holly bushes, I marked off in my head the blood stains on the sword in his hands now.  It was Lee’s blood. 

              “A minor issue just like your little Hunter boy. Funny that one.  I owe it all to him.  Your Hunter was the catalyst for making this happen.  When he gave away so freely what your little fourteen year old body could do, he changed the course of history.  Call it cutting your losses for you since he is only the first of many who will die for you today.  Unless one of your little wonder boys wants to just give you up now.  It would go better for them and their factions if they did.  I can be charitable at times when the price is right.”

              Not willing to egg this conversation on, I switched tactics.  “You know, the sword you’re holding is sacred to the Elves.  I assume after you’ve done me in you intend to give it back to them.”

              His legs parted to support the weight of his weapon.  It was pointed on the ground as if the slumped heaviness was getting to him. He wasn’t a young Hunter, but I’d seen my father take out the best of them in recent years while sparring.  He could handle this sword with ease. So I had to assume this rogue hunter could too.

              “Something like that, little girl.  I’ve heard the rumors you’re spreading about the Elf lord’s return.  I even heard you’ve spread some nasty rumors about his attempt to grow a backbone and return to his role.  You had me convinced at first, but the man is a louse.  He doesn’t care and I intend to take it for myself.  These guys hand over goods, I give them back their freedom.  They can rule all to themselves with no one telling them what to do.

              “When I become ruler over the factions, I intend to sell every single one of them out to the humans.  Make them fear the day they allowed the supernatural world to ever go on.  When they see the error of their ways, then and only then will they know who will help them tame the masses?”

              “
That
makes little sense.  The humans will not find us mob happy or hostile so your angle is idiotic,” I argued trying to hold him off.  I saw Calum whip around and already had six Elves knocked out cold without a sound.  For a Hunter, his stealth was always a remarkable shock.  I doubted him only minutes before.

              “Not now, but when I have you out of the way, the four of your little toys will see my way.  They still think your untouchable.  And besides, where are they now.  Oh yeah, leeching the ground with their filthy royal asses.”

              Three more Elves down.  I was out of topics. Just when I pulled in a breath to go for the gold, I saw the one man I needed the most at the moment.  “Well if that’s the case, then you won’t mind if I invite a friend to watch.”

The blade shifted sideways as he tilted backwards to see where my eyes landed.  Calum had four more down and standing among the sleeping Elves was the one ghost who could shake the earth with his presence.  His jeans were replaced with a pair of black leathers like Cas wore more often than not.  Shirtless, he wore a leather vest with more weapons attached then even Szar owned or could attach to his body.  His hair half pulled back in a tight ponytail, he looked the cover of a motorcycle magazine.  The man screamed badass.