Don asked, “Do you know how long the suppression is?”
“I don't know. They change it. I think it’s starting to wear off.”
Sorana asked, “The vampires suppressed her?”
Don said, “They’re vampires. Cruelty is a science.”
“Sometimes we could heal in our cells. And they would let us heal the vardal partner.”
Sorana asked, “Your nymph healed the vardal?”
Rapture said, “Excuse me!”
“‘Siren’ ... she’s a ‘siren’.” Don signed something. “They sense wounds on those nearby and are compelled to heal.”
Sorana said, “We can't make it out like this.”
Rapture said, “Well, feel free to heal us.”
Sorana said, “I'm not a siren.”
Rapture said, “Oh, gee, really? Hmm. Well then why don't you leave the healing to me and you just do whatever it is you do?”
They stumbled into the lab.
Sorana scouted ahead.
Don leaned Rapture against a wall and pressed against her. “How about now?”
He felt so warm and strong. Rapture placed her hand on Don’s thigh. The healing energy flowed in fits and spurts. The flow was still partially suppressed, but it was relieving to heal him. She then let the healing energy flow throughout her own body. “The Xandrian ... the Marigold. Don ...”
“There's a Marigold, too?”
Rapture said, “Yes, they always kept at least one of each strain here—the major strains, at least.”
Don shook his head. “I'm sorry. We can't. I'm here for you. You are the duchess. We just can't.” He pulled the cloak’s hood over Rapture's head, tucking her hair in. He put his helmet back on. “We’ll try to come back, if we can.”
“Okay.”
Sorana returned with a lab coat and helped Rapture slip it on over the cloak. “She’ll need boots, too.” Sorana went ahead to scout. She smelled oddly for a vardal. And she spoke human without an accent.
Don asked, “What about Sorana?”
Rapture said, “What do you mean?”
“Her shoulder.” He made a stabbing motion.
“She's not wounded.”
“Well, she was.” Don got some boots and helped Rapture get them on. He pulled up her cloak hood and tucked her hair in. He offered his arm.
Rapture took it, needing help to steady her limp. She concentrated on keeping her balance as they followed Sorana down the hallway. An armored vardal male stepped out of a storage room ahead and approached.
Rapture tried to hide her face, but he had already seen her.
He said something in vardal.
Sorana signed to him.
The male drew a weapon.
Sorana killed him.
Rapture's female vardal partner was at the entrance of the lab, screaming down the hallway and pointing.
Don pulled a vardal crossbow off his back and pointed it at the vardal woman. She ducked back into the lab.
The escaping trio reached the mess hall. There were several armored vardal inside. They were already alert and drew weapons.
Sorana started to run ahead then impatiently held up for Rapture and Don. “She is still wounded.”
Don said, “No, she just has a limp—something she was born with.”
Sorana signed something vigorously, gave a frustrated grunt, and headed back toward the mess hall.
Rapture started signing something back at Sorana, but Don pulled her along.
The two passed a set of stairs. Don heaved his crossbow onto the stairs, but continued down the hallway to the pool room. Water flowed out of the rock face wall from an underground stream into a pool. They circumvented the pool and entered Wescott's chambers.
Sorana caught up to them. “Two have been disabled.” She signed something.
Don shut and barred the door behind them.
Rapture asked, “Now what?”
Chapter 8
Trapped
Don said, “Look around. It's the head alchemist's chambers. Maybe there are weapons—or something we can use as a distraction.”
Rapture asked, “What's upstairs?”
Don said, “A garden.”
Sorana said, “I'll go.” She jogged up the stairs.
Don and Rapture searched displays.
There was pounding on the door, accompanied by yelling in vardal.
Don said, “They won't hurt you. When they come in, stay away from me. Pull down your hood.”
There was a shriek and an abbreviated struggle upstairs. Don helped Rapture up the stairs.
Sorana stood over a prone, unarmored vardal couple. Their equipment and clothing were strewn about nearby, as if hastily discarded for a romantic encounter.
Rapture’s body told her the female was still alive.
Don inspected the scene. “They were royalty—at least she was.”
Sorana pointed to an insignia and said something in vardal.
Rapture said, “Desiree.”
Don asked, “Nazaire’s niece?”
“Yes, we knew her. She visited the prison block sometimes—with her boyfriends, after hours.”
Sorana said something in Vardal.
“We don’t have any way to get her out, and killing her could put the other sirens in danger. Just leave her for now.” Don stroked Desiree's armor. “I think this is harmonic metal.”
Rapture said, “Harmonic metal?”
Don said, “It is lighter and stronger than steel—just harder to forge so you don’t see it that often. Let’s get it on you.”
Sorana helped Rapture into the harmonic armor. It was finely fashioned and light. However, as they pulled it over her chest and hips, she could definitely tell the under padding was intended for a slender vardal figure.
Don continued inspecting the gear. He picked up a hand-sized rod. A rope connected a ball to the rod. He swung the ball like a pendulum. “It’s heavy.”
Rapture asked, “Is it a toy?”
“Maybe a model cavalry flail?”
“Or a pixie flail?”
Sorana said, “It’s a monkey’s fist—a slung shot if you throw it.”
Don proffered it. “Do you want it?”
Sorana grabbed the monkey’s fist and tugged firmly on the rope. She took a few steps away from the others and swung it a dazzling pattern of orbits. She was dancing. She smacked the ball into a branch of a tree. The impact would have fractured even an ogre’s skull. “Yes.”
Don picked up a dagger and stroked the blade. “Nice … melodic metal.” He knelt down in front of Rapture. He strapped the dagger scabbard around her thigh.
Rapture balanced herself off his shoulders. His touching confused her body.
Don led them to the balcony, crouching to hide from the vardal below. The waterfall from the cavern wall poured out over the balcony before collecting in the pool below. “The water isn’t deep.” Don took off his helm. “Sorana, can you swim in your armor?”
Sorana signed something to Don.
Don said, “She’ll be fine. Sirens like the water.”
Sorana pulled off her helm.
Rapture said, “You're not vampiric!”
Don said, “Actually, she's part vardal.”
“What? How is that possible?”
“It's complicated.”
“Whatever.”
“Whatever what?”
Rapture felt her face get hot. “If you want to keep your secrets between you and your little friend, just go right ahead.”
“What? It’s just that we’re about to die here and it will take more than a few seconds to explain.”
Because I’m too slow to understand. “Fine.”
Don sighed and rolled his eyes.
That little performance would be discussed later.
The pursuers were ramming the door below with something heavy.
Sorana
said, “Time.”
Don pointed down at the pool. “We need to jump one right after another—me first, Sorana last. Aim for the middle of the pool. Go right—over there. The exit chute is at the bottom. Don't panic. Just keep going and the current will help carry you. The flow rate is high so you won’t be in the chute too long. When you come out of the dragon's mouth, you will fall into a retention pond below. Just don't panic. Don’t scream during the fall, but take a breath if you can. The retention pond isn’t deep. Jump to the surface for breath and find the stairs. Keep your head low.”
The door to Wescott's chamber cracked loudly. Wood hit the ground.
Don asked, “Mi Ardore?”
Rapture touched his cheek. “Unto my fall.”
The trio lined up at the edge of the balcony. As vardal rushed into Wescott's chamber below, Don jumped down into the pool.
Rapture followed him.
The water was a bit cool but felt so good. Rapture swam underwater to the drain, where Don opened the grate. As Don had said, the current helped carry her down the chute. Light appeared ahead. She tumbled out of an opening and was free falling for a second before she hit more water. With the armor, she sank to the bottom of the pond and stood. She adjusted her internal buoyancy to partially compensate for the armor. The surface was only a couple of feet over her head. She launched herself upward and was able to take a breath before the weight of the armor pulled her back under. She followed someone to the stairs. Soon the trio was gathered, only their heads above water.
The massive cavern about them was dimly lit by luminescent algae. Torches lit portions of the AciesMagus walls. She couldn’t make out much detail. Unfortunately, the vardal and vampires saw a lot better in the dark than sirens. They would be able to spot her without difficulty.
Don said, “Our options are limited. We could take the ramp down to the Cove. At least then we'd be facing buway instead of vardal and Jortal. There are multiple ways out of the Cove.”
Sorana said, “No.”
“We could try the ramp back up to the market and blend in there. Maybe there’s still enough commotion.”
“No.”
Don looked around. “Or we could double back inside the AciesMagus Proper and take the concealed passage up to the keep.”
Sorana said, “Possible.”
Rapture said, “I don't know, Don.”
Don said, “We'd have to scale the wall over there. We'd be hidden by the mushroom farm and dragon statue. It's risky going back in, but any other way, we are out in the open.”
Rapture said, “I can’t get up that wall.”
Don said, “We'll be fine.”
Vardal shouts could be heard around the AciesMagus cavern. There was guttural-toned buway shouting as well. They found a mound of discarded mushroom against the wall. It gave them enough height to boost and lift each other over the wall. The half-breed was stronger than she looked.
Sorana led the way upstairs to the observation deck. Two guards met her as she reached the top of the stairs. She disabled them, pushing the body of one down the stairs. Sorana jerked and grunted. A crossbow bolt protruded through her thigh.
Don ran past Rapture to help.
By the time Rapture reached the observation deck, Sorana was kneeling over the third guard's prone body, ensuring his deceased status.
Sorana winced as she pulled the bolt out.
Rapture healed the wound again. Rapture's energy flow still felt weak, but it was effective as Sorana's wound clotted quickly.
Sorana pointed down toward the courtyard.
Don peaked over the side shields of the observation deck’s ballista.
Rapture asked, “What?”
Don said, “I thought I heard something.”
“A troop of vardal soldiers moving toward the retention pond.” Sorana sipped some water and led the way from the observation deck through a passage into an upper level of the AciesMagus. She led them through a dark maze, eventually into the storage locker. Curtains closed behind them.
Rapture said, “I can’t see.”
After some shuffling, a door opened and Don whispered, “Over here … come on!” A hand took Rapture's and guided her through a cramped portal into a passage. The door closed behind them.
The passage was too dark for Rapture to see, but Don guided her. She could smell the half-vardal walking ahead of them. They were moving uphill.
The trio walked in silence for a bit, then Don started talking. He described his abduction, Mercy's tower, and his plan to get a weapon, the Catalyst, to help with the war. Rapture listed to his voice and pulled his hand close so that his arm sometimes brushed against her chest as they walked.
The passage ended in the small conference room of the surface keep. Don put his backpack on a table and started digging through it.
Rapture moved up close behind him. She put a hand on his back and stroked, feeling his muscles.
He was talking again … about something. He turned around and Rapture slipped a hand around his neck. She pulled herself up to kiss him, and moved his hand down past her hip to her thigh. He was so warm. Her body was shaking.
“Rap! Rap! I can't breathe!”
He tried to step back but Rapture stepped with him. She then comprehended his words and backed off. “Sorry! I'm sorry, Don. I know now is not the time. I'm just confused now—they did something to us.”
He stepped across the room and took some deep breaths. “It's fine.”
Rapture backed into a corner. She concentrated to repress her scent.
Sorana gawked at her with an expression of awe and wonder. Or maybe more like an inquisitive child.
Rapture suddenly felt self-conscious. Then perhaps a bit guilty.
Sorana actually seemed like a sweet, young lady when she wasn’t killing people. She was just being terse in trying to get a mission done.
And then Rapture’s abdomen was on fire. MMMMng. Rapture collapsed in the corner and cradled her tummy. She tried to heal herself, but the pain was not dulled.
Don said, “Mi Ardore, I'm so sorry. As soon as we're out of here and back at the Tower of Mercy, we will have time.”
“No Don, it's not that. There's something wrong. It's not just missing you.” Rapture felt her forehead. It was damp. “I think they gave me something—did something to me.”
Don said, “Then all the more reason to hurry to Mercy. She can probably fix this.”
Rapture sighed. “It's passed.” She accepted a skin of water from Sorana. The cool water helped.
Sorana scouted ahead as the trio navigated the keep. They passed a prep chamber that was converted to housing for humans. Humans with the most valued labor skills were housed in the keep, a definite upgrade of quarters over the crowded and stuffy market level.
Rapture played prisoner as they passed vardal. They reached a tower and looked out the windows.
Don and Sorana discussed scaling down from there, but decided there were too many ogres mulling around outside. Getting Rapture down would be too conspicuous. They ended up taking another secret passage down to the market level, emerging in the stockade. They reached the stockade’s records room.
“Step away from the siren!” Two nervous humans stepped into view, pointing their spears at Don. The voice from a hidden source said, “We have several bows trained on your woman.”
Chapter 9
Blaydon
The vardal male lifted his arms.
The Godiva siren said, “It’s okay. Don’t hurt them.”
“Blaydon?” The vardal slowly removed his helm, revealing that he was actually a human.
“Visor?” Blaydon stepped out of hiding and studied the Godiva-strain siren more closely. If that was Visor, then this was probably his bound siren. “You rescued Rap!”
Rapture said, “Yeah, eventually.”
Thorsius stepped up. “We th
ought you were long gone.”
“Rumor was a vampire took you.” Blaydon pointed his bastard sword at Sorana. “Who's this?”
Visor said, “The vampire. Sorana is my tracker now”
Blaydon studied Sorana.
Raptured said, “She's part human, but it's too complicated to explain right now.”
Blaydon laughed loudly. “They sent a woman for Visor!”
Thorsius raised his hammer. “And it took him two weeks to turn her!”
Rapture said, “Oh, no, he was busy with her mother. She's a witch that gives erotic massages.”
Visor said, “I specifically said not erotic. She was just trying to enhance my performance.”
Thorsius laughed. “Cough! Manwhore!”
Visor said, “You know, just because one time you—”
Blaydon waved his men to silence. “Are you coordinating with the Naiad Rangers?”
Visor said, “No, we are here just for Rapture. It's a part of the bargain with the witch. I have to run some errands for her and she’s going to help me get a weapon to use against Nazaire and Khatagin. What are you doing?” He gestured at the troops.
“We got word that the Naiad Rangers were in the vicinity. The fire started and we figured something was happening.”
Visor said, “That was us. It was a distraction to get down to Rap. We got there, but now the escape isn't going so well.”
Blaydon slapped a hand on Visor’s shoulder. “Let's fix that. To the Cove?”
Visor nodded. “A ship would be nice.”
Blaydon said, “Infantry on me. You on point. Archers around the siren.” He marched across the market to the cove ramp. A single vardal spotted the human group, but kept his distance. The portcullis at the entrance of the cove ramp was still damaged from the vardal-Jortal-buway assault.
Visor said, “The gate guards are gone.”
Blaydon handed Visor a bow. “Do you know how to use this?”
“The string staff? Sure.”
“What?”
“Yes, I can.”
“All right, let's do this!”
Visor said, “They’ll be slow in the cold. The buway are cold-blooded, like the vardal snakes. They are, in fact, related to snakes. They have a lot of lizard qualities, biologically speaking, like a movable upper jaw.”
“Interesting.” Blaydon led the way down the ramp. “Tell me about the guards of the AciesMagus.”
Visor summarized the vardal defensive positions around the fortress and the location of the prisoners. Then he described more of his encounter with the witch Mercy, the capabilities of Sorana, and his quest for the Catalyst. “So now we’re the Hand of Mercy.”