Valley of Silence (9 page)

She told herself to ask Glenna to teach her to do a glamour. “There's time enough to rest when this is done.”

 

S
he spent an hour with her aunt going over household
accounts and duties, then another speaking with some of those who performed those duties.

When she started toward the parlor with the idea of a light meal and a vat of tea, she heard Cian's laugh.

It relieved her to know he was keeping Glenna company, but she wondered if she herself had the energy to deal with him after such a long day.

She caught herself turning away, felt a quick flare of anger. Did she need a headful of wine just to sit comfortably in the same room with him? What sort of coward was she?

Straightening her spine, she strode in to see Glenna and Cian sitting by the fire with fruit and tea.

They looked so easy with each other, Moira thought. Did Glenna find it comforting or strange that Cian looked so like his brother? Little differences, of course. That cleft in Cian's chin his brother lacked. And his face was leaner than Hoyt's, his hair shorter.

There was his posture, and his movements. Cian always seemed at his ease, and walked with a near animal fluidity.

She liked watching him move, Moira admitted. He always put her in mind of something exotic—beautiful in its way, and just as lethal.

He knew she was there, she was sure. She'd yet to see anything or anyone come up on him with him unaware. But he continued to slouch in the chair where most men would rise when a woman—much less a queen—entered the room.

It was like his shrug, she thought. A deliberate carelessness. She wished she didn't find that so appealing as well.

“Am I interrupting?” she asked as she crossed the room.

“No.” Glenna shifted to smile at her. “I asked for enough for three, hoping you'd have time. Cian's just been entertaining me with stories of Hoyt's exploits as a child.”

“I'll leave you ladies to your tea.”

“Please don't go.” Before he could rise, Glenna took his arm. “You've been working hard to keep me from worrying.”

“If you knew it, I wasn't working hard enough.”

“You gave me a breather, and it's appreciated. Now, if everything's gone as planned, they should be at the projected base. I need to look.” Her hand was steady as she poured tea for Moira. “I think it would be better if we all looked.”

“Can you help them if…” Moira let it trail off.

“Hoyt's not the only one with magic up his sleeve. But I'll be able to see more clearly, and help if necessary if the two of you work with me. I know you've had a long one, Moira.”

“They're my family as well.”

With a nod, Glenna rose. “I brought what I thought I'd need.” She retrieved her crystal globe, some smaller crystals, some herbs. These she arranged on the table between them. Then she took off her cross, circled the ball with its chain.

“So.” She kept her voice light, placed her hands over the ball. “Let's see what they're up to.”

 

I
t had rained across Geall, making the trip a small
misery. They'd circled wide, coming down nearly a quarter mile east of the farm they intended to use for a base. Its location was prime, nearly equidistant from the land Lilith now occupied and the field of battle.

Because it was, Cian's assumption that it would be laid for ambush rang true.

The two riders dismounted from the dragon's back, then off-loaded packs and supplies. There was some cover—the low stone wall separating the fields, and the scatter of trees that ran with it.

Nothing stirred in the rain.

Dragon turned to man, and Larkin scooped both hands through his dripping hair. “Filthy day all in all. You saw the goal right enough?”

“Two-story cottage,” Blair answered. “Three outbuildings, two paddocks. Sheep. No smoke or sign of life, no horses. If they're there, they'd have guards posted, a couple in each building, most likely. Taking shifts while the others sleep. They'd need food, so they may have prisoners. Or if they're traveling light, they'd have what they need in canteens—water bags.”

“I could risk a look,” Hoyt said. “If she sent along any with power though, they could sense it, and us.”

“Simpler if I take a run at it.” Larkin paused to crunch into an apple. The long trip had hunger gnawing at his belly. “They wouldn't put up the shield, as they have around their main base. Not if they're hoping to snatch some of us if and when we come along.”

“Go in small,” Blair reminded him. “Cian had a good point about that.”

“Aye, well.” He stuffed some bread in his mouth. “A mouse is small enough and worked before. It'll take longer than it would as wolf or deer.” He slipped off his cross. “You'll need to keep this for me.”

“I hate this part.” Blair took the cross. “I hate you going in without a weapon or shield.”

“Have a little faith.” He cupped her chin, kissed her. Then stepping back changed into a small field mouse.

“Can't believe I just kissed that,” Blair muttered, then closed her hand tight over his cross as the mouse streaked across the grass. “Now we wait.”

“Best if we take precautions. I'll cast a circle.”

 

L
arkin was nearly to the first outbuilding when he
spotted the wolf. It was large and black, crouched in a thicket of berries. It paid no mind to him while its red eyes scanned the field and the road to the west. Still, he gave it a wide berth before squirming under the doorway.

It was a rough stable, and there were two horses in the stalls. And two vampires seated on the floor having a game of dice. The mouse cocked its head in some surprise. Larkin hadn't considered vampires would game. The wolf, he deduced, was their outlook. A signal from it, and they'd come to action. But for now, they were too involved in the dice to notice a small mouse.

There were swords, and two full quivers with bows. Inspired, he dashed over to where the bows rested against a stall. And busily gnawed at the strings.

One vampire was cursing his fellow's luck when Larkin scrambled out again.

He found similar setups in each building, with the main body of the troop in the cottage. Though he smelled blood, he saw no human. In the cottage, four vampires slept in the loft while five others kept watch.

He did what could be done by a mouse to sabotage, then hurried away again.

He found Hoyt and Blair where he'd left them, sitting now on a damp blanket in a circle that simmered low. “Fifteen by my count,” he told them. “And a wolf. We'd need to get past that one for any chance at taking the others by surprise.”

“Have to be quiet then.” Blair picked up a bow. “And from downwind. Hoyt, if Larkin can give me the exact position, is there a way you can help me see it?”

“I can give you the exact position,” Larkin said before Hoyt spoke, “because we'll be going together now. You won the round to come, but you won't go into that nest of demons alone.”

“She won't, no. Of the three of us, you've the best hand with a bow, so you'll take the shot,” Hoyt told Blair. “But we'll be covering your flank while you're at it. I'll do what I can to help you get a clear shot.”

“No point in arguing that one moves faster and quieter than three? Didn't think so,” Blair said when she met stony silence. “Let's move out then.”

They had to circle widely to keep out of sight, and prevent their scent from carrying. But when they came up behind the wolf, Blair shook her head. “I don't think I can get the heart from here. Moira, maybe, but I'm not that good. Gonna take more than one shot.”

She thought it over, saw how it could best be done.

“You take the first one,” she whispered to Larkin. “Get as close as you can. If it rears or rolls, shifts around, I can take it. One, two,” she added, using her fingers. “Has to be fast, has to be quiet.”

He nodded, pulled an arrow from the quiver, notched it in his bow. It was a long shot for him, and the angle poor. But he took aim, breathed out, breathed in. And let the arrow fly.

It took the wolf between the shoulder blades, and its body jerked up. Blair's arrow struck home.

“Nice work,” she said as black smoke and ash flew.

Hoyt started to speak, then Glenna's voice sounded in his head as clearly as if she'd been standing beside him.

Behind you!

He spun, pivoted. A second wolf leaped, its body slamming Hoyt aside, knocking him to the ground as it fell on Larkin. Man and wolf grappled, an instant only. Even as Blair drew her sword, and Hoyt his, the wolf was rolled beneath a bear.

The bear's claws swiped, slicing deep across the throat. There was a gush of blood. The bear collapsed on the black ash, and became a man again.

Blair dropped to her knees, running her hands frantically over Larkin. “Are you bit? Are you bit?”

“No. Scratched up here and there. No bites. Ah, the stench of that one.” Out of breath, he pushed to his elbows, looked down in disgust at his bloody shirt. “Ruined a good hunting tunic.” He looked over at Hoyt. “All right then?”

“I might not have been. Glenna. They must be watching. I heard her in my head.” Hoyt held out a hand to help Larkin to his feet. “If you wear that, they'll smell us a half league away. You'll need to…wait, wait.” And his smile came slow and grim. “I've an idea.”

The black wolf crouched over the bloody figure, and from outside the rear of the stables, sent out a low howl. In moments, a vampire armed with a battle-ax opened the door.

“What do we have here?” He glanced over his shoulder. “One of the wolves brought us a present.”

Facedown, Hoyt let out a quiet moan.

“It's still alive. Let's get it inside. No need to share it with the others, right? I could use something fresh for a change.”

As they stepped out, the second spared the wolf a brief grin. “Yeah, good dog. Let's just have a—”

He exploded into ash as Blair rammed the stake through his back and into his heart. The second didn't have time to lift his ax before Hoyt sprang off the ground and sliced his sword through its neck.

“Yeah, good dog.” Blair mimicked the vampire, and added a quick ruffle of Larkin's fur. “I say we stick with a winner, use the same gambit on the next outbuilding.”

They had nearly identical results with the second building, but on the third, only one came out. It was obvious by the way he glanced surreptitiously back at his post that he intended to keep the unexpected meal for himself. When he rolled Hoyt over, the unexpected meal put a stake through his heart.

Using hand signals now, Blair indicated she would go in first, with Hoyt covering her.

Quick and quiet, she thought as she slipped inside. She saw the other guard had made himself a cozy nest with blankets and was taking an afternoon nap in what she thought was a dovecote.

He was actually snoring.

She had to bite back the half a dozen smart remarks that trembled on her tongue, and simply staked him while he slept.

She blew out a long breath. “I don't mean to complain, but this is almost embarrassing, and a little bit boring.”

“You're disappointed we're not fighting for our lives?” Hoyt asked.

“Well, yeah. Some.”

“Take heart.” Larkin stepped in, surveyed the area. “There are nine in the cottage, where we'll be severely outnumbered.”

“Ah, thanks, honey. You always know just what to say to perk me up.” She hefted the battle-ax she'd taken from the first kill. “Let's go kick some ass.”

Bellied down behind a water trough, Blair and Hoyt studied the cottage. The wounded man/wolf gambit wasn't going to work here, and the alternate they'd agreed on was risky.

“He's already gone through a lot of changes,” Blair murmured. “It starts taking a toll.”

“He ate four honey cakes.”

She nodded, hoping it was fuel enough as the dragon landed lightly on the thatched roof. Larkin shimmered free of it, then picked up the scabbard and the sheath for his stake. He signaled down to them before swinging down to peer in one of the second-story windows.

Apparently, Blair thought, he didn't have to change into a monkey to climb like one. Larkin held up four fingers.

“Four up, five down.” She moved into a crouch. “Ready?”

Keeping low, they rushed to either side of the doorway. As agreed, she counted to ten. Then kicked in the door.

With the battle-ax, she decapitated the one on her right, then used the staff of it to block the hack of a sword. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a ball of fire flash into Hoyt's hand. Something screamed.

From overhead, Larkin and a vampire flew off the loft to land hard on the floor. She tried to hack her way to him, took a hard kick in her healing ribs. The pain and the force knocked her back into a table that broke beneath her weight.

She used the splintered leg to dust the one that leaped on her. Then she threw the makeshift stake, striking one that rushed Hoyt from behind. She missed the heart, swore and shoved herself breathlessly to her feet.

Hoyt thrust out with a back kick that made her warrior's heart sing. When the vampire fell, Larkin finished it with a sword clean through the throat.

“How many?” Blair shouted. “How many?”

“I took two,” Hoyt said.

“Four, by the gods.” Even as he grinned, he was grabbing Blair's arm. “How bad?”

“Off my game. Caught my ribs. I only got two. There's another left.”

“Gone out the window above. Here, sit, sit. Your arm's bleeding as well.”

“Shit.” She looked down, saw the gash she hadn't felt. “Shit. Your nose is bleeding, mouth, too. Hoyt?”

“A few nicks.” He limped toward them. “I don't think we'd need worry overmuch about the one that escaped. But I'll be doing a spell to revoke any invitation. Let me see what I can do for your arm.”