Witch Fall (14 page)

The poisoning left Lilette breathless and weak whenever she exerted herself. I could never bring myself to tell her it was a malady she would live with the rest of her life. ~Jolin

The witches packed together under the late-afternoon sky, guardians surrounding them.

“Keepers, there need be no more death. Surrender!” Chen said.

Lilette promptly ducked behind another witch. Her hand found the phoenix comb, and she squeezed it for reassurance. 

Sash met Chen’s gaze. “Give me a moment to confer with my advisors.”

“One minute. No more.”

“Keeper Sash, your orders?” Geth asked.

She met Lilette’s gaze, tears glazing her eyes. “We don’t have our seeds, our potions.” It was almost like an apology.

“You can’t surrender,” Lilette said softly. “He’ll make you all concubines, and probably kill all the guardians.” And her.

“You don’t understand.” Sash took a deep breath. “Our songs won’t be strong enough to fight them without a circle.”

“But we can’t hold a circle forever,” Jolin said. “Three days at most.”

Sash smiled sadly. “I know.”

Horror washed through Lilette. “No! You can’t!”

“This was my expedition. My responsibility.” Sash took a deep breath. “Lilette, I’m going to need you to take my place as point.”

Lilette shook her head. “I don’t know how.”

“Doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’ll get them out.”

“But I just found you,” Lilette whispered. Sash drew her in for a hug.

“Keepers!” Chen barked. “What is your answer?”

Sash squeezed Lilette tight. “When you arrive in Grove City, Merlay will find you. Trust her and no other.”

Sash pulled back and spoke just loudly enough to be heard by the thirty or so witches around them. “I need volunteers to stay behind and create a circle.”

“I don’t understand what’s happening,” Han whispered.

Jolin blew out a breath. “Those in the circle will stay and fight, while the rest of us try to escape. And I can’t be one of the ones to stay.”

“Why?” Lilette asked quietly.

Jolin shook her head. “It’ll be a small circle—they need the strongest singers to make it work.”

Lilette gasped. “She chose me as point so I couldn’t stay behind.” Her sister was just as brilliant a tactician as Chen.

Gray head bent, one woman stepped forward. As she moved, she took the hand of another. The two locked gazes, a lifetime of memories passing between them. Both moved forward at the same moment.

Lilette turned at a flurry of movement off to the side. A girl wrapped her arms around one of the older women.  “No, Grandma, don’t,” she begged.

The older woman hugged her fiercely. “Just don’t—” She shuddered and took a calming breath. “Just don’t waste it.” Another keeper pulled the young girl away.

Sash was crying hard now. “It’s not enough.”

“Keepers, what is your answer?” Chen asked again, his patience obviously gone. 

“There aren’t enough.” Sash wiped her cheeks. “You older women—those of you who are injured—you won’t be able to run. This way if you die, you’ll be dying for something.” Four of the younger keepers joined them.

Sash gave a shaky smile. “Does anyone have any water? We’ll be able to last longer with it.” A few water skins were passed forward.

“Thank you, your sacrifice—” Sash began.

“They’re forming a circle! Charge!” Chen cried.

“Form up!” Sash ordered. “We’ll clear the courtyard and guard your backs. Creators’ mercy, I hope you make it.”

The women curled into a circle, eight women strong. “Get down,” Sash said.

All the witches and guardians around the circle dropped, Lilette and Han half a beat behind. The other witches joined hands, their song shooting forth just as the elite surged forward.

The barrier again rose into the sky. A shock wave rippled out from the witches, whipping the flames from the dying tree and flinging the brittle, burning branches into the nearby elite.

The witches sang three times, their songs dark and deadly. Then Sash rose into the night sky and sang with the combined power of many.

“What is she doing?” Lilette asked.

Jolin covered her head with her hands. “Fighting.”

The ground beneath Lilette shook as if the whole world was being rent asunder. Han pulled her into his arms, his body hunched protectively over her—just as his brother had done earlier.

In the city, more buildings collapsed. Lilette knew innocent people were dying, and a piece of her seemed to wither and die with them.

A jagged wall of earth rose between the palace and the city, cutting the army off. The witches in the circle started a new song, their faces determined. The sky turned dark. Black clouds boiled above them, lightning flashing along the bottom. Rain pelted them. Within a matter of seconds, dozens of lightning strikes flashed down inside the compound.

Lilette thought of all those women and children in the harem, and her blood turned to ice. “Lang got her out,” she said to herself. “He got her out!” 

Han held her tighter. After what felt like forever, the strikes stopped. Opening her eyes, Lilette braced herself on her arms. Shouts rose up from behind them. She shifted, bits of earth scraping under body. The elite were coming at them from along the outside of the ramparts. Within moments, they would be surrounded.

“Go!” Sash cried. “Before it’s too late!”

Han lunged to his feet and took up position behind them. It was time to run again. Water dripping from her face, Lilette surged back through the crumbled brick ramparts with the rest of the keepers.

The unmistakable smell of burning flesh assaulted her senses as she entered the compound. Rain pounded her hunched shoulders, and she started forward into the ruined garden.

All around her were the still forms of the dead. Steam or smoke, perhaps both, rose from their bodies. A small cry of pain rose involuntarily from deep inside her, and she found herself looking for Chen’s body.

Han wrapped his arm around her shoulders and turned her face away. “Don’t look.”

She leaned into him, focusing only on his chest as they stumbled through the pathway of the dead. She had the distinct impression her body would soon falter. She was so far beyond the limits of her strength, but there was no choice but to go forward.

Behind them, lightning struck down the imperial soldiers in the city—the circle was attacking the army now.

The harem wall bordered the garden’s west side. Lilette gaze was drawn to it, but there didn’t seem to be smoke coming from inside. “They didn’t attack it.” Relief coursed through her. Even if Lang didn’t get Ko out, she might be all right.

When they bolted straight through the palace, eunuchs scattered in fear. The guardians flung open the palace doors and motioned for them to hurry. “Across the courtyard to the gates. Quickly now!”

But Lilette staggered to a stop. Before the gates, the ragged remnants of the palace elite had gathered. Geth pushed his way to the front of the group. He tipped his head toward Lilette and spoke low. “We haven’t time or numbers for a rear guard. Watch your backs.” Then he waved his sword above his head and sprinted forward. “Guardians, to me!”

Lilette stepped closer to Jolin. “What do I do?”

“Sing,” Jolin said simply.

Lilette hesitated. “Keepers, follow my lead.”

Marching forward, she started singing. Jolin and the other witches took up the song. Immediately, plants started snatching at the elite’s feet, tripping them.

When they were halfway between the palace and the gates, Han stiffened beside her. He took half a step to the side and then ran to kneel beside a still form.

The guardians clashed with the elite, the sound making Lilette flinch, though she couldn’t take her gaze from Han. “Jolin, keep them singing.” She trotted up beside him and forced herself to look.

No one couldn’t mistake the stunning robes, even damp with rain and partially charred. Lilette bent down and picked up the elaborate crown at her feet. It was burned on one side. Han slowly turned over the emperor—his father. He was dead.

Han hung his head, his hands fisted at his sides. Lilette started to reach for him but hesitated. After all, she’d caused this.

From behind her, she heard a cry of pain and whirled to see Chen standing on the palace steps. The witches gave startled cries and darted away from him, but he ignored them. He sprinted forward and skidded to a halt on his knees beside the emperor.

He pressed his hand on his father’s still chest. His gaze swept across Lilette to land on Han. “How you could do this?” Chen’s voice broke. He gestured to the utter destruction of the compound, his voice rising with every word. “You let the witches free? Helped them kill elite—your own men—and our family? Stole my wife? Why?”

Han did not flinch. “It’s wrong. Invading Vorlay will destroy us.”

Lilette’s eyes widened. Chen was planning an invasion, and no doubt planning to use her sister and the others to do it.

“Our islands lack so many natural resources,” he explained. “Is it wrong of us to want to better the lives of our people?”

Han’s mouth tightened. “Using the keepers as our weapon will spark a war we will not win. The entire empire will be destroyed because of your folly. Our people will be the ones to pay the price.”

“You’ve known all this for days and done nothing,” Chen replied.

Han spoke through his teeth. “You would have killed Lilette.”

Rising to his feet, Chen pulled his swords from their sheaths. “I bested you once, Brother. I can do it again.”

Lilette opened her mouth to stop Chen. Jumping up, Han cut her a look that instantly severed her song. “Do not interfere. Not this time,” he said.

Her mouth clamped shut. She wanted to protest, but she remembered what Ko had said about regaining honor. Han had to do this alone if he was to ever live with himself.

Amid the sounds of the guardians and keepers battling the elite, the brothers circled each other. “When I win,” Chen said, “I will take back what’s mine.”

Han’s jaw hardened. “Just to kill her?”

Chen’s gaze flicked to Lilette. “You take her to Grove City, she’s as good as dead anyway.”

“Liar!” she cried.

Han made a choking sound. “Lilette, go. I can’t fight him while I’m worried about him coming after you. Join the others.”

Knowing he was right, she backed away. The brothers lunged at each other, their swords cutting through the air with a hiss before clashing in a ringing of steel.

Wiping rain from her face, Lilette took in the elite battling the guardians and the witches singing with all their might. They were outnumbered, and the guardians were clearly exhausted. They might manage to fight their way through, but so many would die seeing it done. There had to be another way.

Lilette caught sight of the stables, which were two stories high. An idea forming in her mind, she ran toward them and threw open the doors. The dozen or so grooms jumped. Their eyes swept over her and they bowed. Lilette realized with the weak light, all they could see was her armor—Han’s armor.

After tying up her faceguard, she stepped out of the rain, her gaze traveling down the rows and rows of horses in their stalls—all of them saddled and armored. A grim smile touched her mouth as she dropped her voice an octave. “See that all the horses are ready. Now.” She strode straight down the center of the stables without looking to one side or the other and stepped through a short gate into a two-stories-high room. She startled at movement far, far above her.

She craned her head back to find herself not a half dozen steps away from the elephant. Though the howdah was gone, Jia Li was still outfitted in rich trappings covered in tassels that swayed as she studied Lilette with intelligent eyes. Her enormous trunk prodded Lilette’s arms, as if searching for something.

A slow smile spread across Lilette’s face. “Oh, yes. We can use this.”

Keeping her movements smooth, Lilette undid the pin that held the bar across the entrance and opened it wide. Pretending she knew what she was doing, she repeatedly slapped the elephant’s shoulder and said, “Lift leg!” To her utter delight, the elephant sort of crouched down and raised her leg.