Facets of Power, page 23
part #3 of The Dragon Portal Series
The warden’s face turned bright red. He opened his mouth to object, but Astrid let out a booming laugh from behind him.
“Well, don’t that beat all. Pulled it straight out of the damned wall,” Astrid said, heading toward them with a grin. She toed the crystalline shackle with her boot. “If I were you, I’d let it go, Tinthorp. If she can break our chains so easily, what do you think she’ll do to you? Probably not a good idea to annoy Faerie’s newest queen. Besides, the demon’s on a short leash with his mistress around.”
The warden’s jaw clamped shut. He reached down, snatched up the shackle, and glared at all of them before stomping away.
Astrid slapped her thigh. “Not bad, girlie. Man’s a bit of a twit and needs to be put in a place every now and then. Thetar and Dagmar are in the courtyard, keeping an eye on yer girl and pixie. I had a feeling Tinthorp might cause you problems, especially since he sent a runner for Brigette Barrelblade.”
“Who’s Brigette Barrelblade?” Sabine asked, unfamiliar with the name.
“Councilwoman for the Warrior Guild,” Astrid said, her expression turning grim. “They oversee the management of the prison.”
“I take it her presence doesn’t herald glad tidings?”
Astrid shook her head and motioned for them to follow her back in the direction of the courtyard. “Not even close. She wanted yer demon executed immediately to avoid any complications. Yer presence is one of those complications.”
“I intend to make things much more complicated,” Sabine said in a dry tone.
They stepped out into the courtyard, where Thetar was having a standoff with a striking woman wearing full armor. Her blonde hair was pulled away from her face in a severe bun that emphasized the angles of her face. Another man was standing beside her, wearing similar armor, and neither appeared particularly happy with whatever Thetar was saying to them. The warden gave Sabine a smug look before trotting away and disappearing back into his office.
Astrid frowned. “Give me a moment.” She moved forward to engage Brigette and her companion. They talked animatedly between themselves, using expansive hand gestures.
Blossom flew to Sabine and landed on her shoulder. In a quiet voice loud enough for only her and Malek to hear, Blossom whispered, “That’s Brigette and Durgan from the Warrior Guild. She’s mad because the warden interrupted an important meeting for her to come deal with an uppity Fae. I’m guessing that’s you. I thought about dusting her, but I didn’t think you’d like that.”
Sabine frowned. “We’ll keep the dusting as a last resort. What else?”
“Thetar told them you’ve been touched by the gods. I don’t think they believe him, but she’s at least listening.”
“I’ve heard of Brigette,” Malek said quietly. “Her men say she’s tough and ruthless but also fair. Other than Astrid and maybe one other, I’m not sure there’s another more powerful woman in all of Razadon. Be careful in dealing with her. She might try to challenge you before she’ll listen to a word you say.”
“I’m finding that to be a common theme among the dwarves,” Sabine muttered and headed directly for them. Malek remained by her side, his hand resting on the hilt of his weapon.
Astrid gestured toward Sabine, the crystals embedded into her bracelets catching the light. “Queen Sabin’theoria of the Unseelie, meet Brigette Barrelblade of the Warrior Guild.”
“Well met,” Sabine said, tilting her head in greeting. “Call me Sabine. My companion is Captain Malek Rish’dan of the ship Obsidian’s Storm.”
“Greetings,” Malek said, giving her a curt nod.
Brigette gave him a brief onceover before turning her attention to Sabine. Scanning her up and down with suspicion in her green eyes, Brigette asked, “Supposedly, you’ve been touched by the gods. I find that curious for someone exiled from Faerie who’s taken up with a human lover. I suppose it’s safe to assume Thetar’s been talking out of his ass again.”
Thetar chuckled. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Astrid crossed her arms over her chest and remained silent.
Sabine kept her expression neutral, wanting to avoid another display of power if possible. Bane had taken a great deal of her magic, and fatigue was creeping into the edge of her mind. “We’ve all been touched by the gods in some manner. But yes, the blood of the goddess Lachlina and the god Vestior runs through my veins.”
Brigette snorted. “You mean the same gods who abandoned us? Don’t think yer connection to them gives you any rights to free prisoners in our city. From what the warden here tells me, you’ve taken it upon yerself to meddle in our affairs.”
“Can I dust her yet?” Blossom whispered next to her ear.
Sabine narrowed her eyes on Brigette. “I have every right to claim justice when your city has fallen short of their responsibilities in cleansing this land. It’s within my purview to do whatever’s necessary to ensure the corruption is eradicated. If I decide Bane is necessary to complete that endeavor, you will release him into my custody. In the meantime, he shall not be shackled nor his magic negated in any way. If I need him to accomplish my task and you have rendered him powerless, there will be consequences.”
Brigette straightened and took a threatening step toward her. “He’s a demon assassin. He deserves nothing more than death for the harm he’s caused my brethren. And yer nothing more than a child who thinks she can wade in here simply because she’s Fae and her mommy’s dead.”
Sabine reared back as though slapped. Anger, red hot and molten, ripped through her. Without pausing to consider her actions, she flung her hand outward and slammed Brigette against the far wall. Clenching her fist, she tightened her mental hold around Brigette’s neck and walked toward her.
Astrid inhaled sharply and stepped back, while Thetar took a protective stance in front of Astrid. Malek muttered a curse from behind her, and she heard the slide of metal as he pulled his sword from its sheath. Trusting Malek to keep her safe from Brigette’s companion, Sabine ignored them and instead focused on the woman who had disparaged her.
She narrowed her eyes on Brigette, allowing her markings to flare silver and gold with power. “With one word, this so-called child has the power to coerce you into rending your own limbs from your body. Speak to me in such a manner again, and I’ll see you tear out your own tongue and mount it on my wall as a trophy.”
Brigette’s eyes widened in shock, fear filling her gaze. Recognizing she was in danger of going too far, Sabine pulled back on her magic and dropped Brigette to the ground.
Durgan, Brigette’s companion, dove toward the councilwoman. Malek pushed him back with a swift hit to the solar plexus. Durgan darted forward again, but Malek’s sword slashed outward. The sharp clash of Malek’s weapon against the dwarf’s armor resounded through the courtyard. He quickly disarmed Durgan, forcing the weapon out of the dwarf’s hand. It clattered to the ground, just out of reach.
“Step back,” Malek ordered, angling his body protectively in front of Sabine.
Durgan’s expression hardened as he reached for the axe affixed to his belt. “Move aside, human. I let you take a strike to play a bit, but I won’t allow it again. Yer betters are talking.”
“Tried to warn you. He ain’t human,” Thetar said with a grin, rocking back on his heels. “Not sure what he is, but he’s a power of some sort. Knocked me flat on my ass on the way here.”
“Stand down, Durgan,” Brigette ordered, rising to her feet and rubbing her neck. She scanned Sabine up and down again, this time far more critically. “Guess I was wrong about you, Your Highness. But I’m not happy about the demon runnin’ loose in his cell. Can you keep yer demon under control?”
Sabine hesitated. “I can’t guarantee anything unless you release him into my custody. That said, I do not believe he will harm anyone unless he is shackled again and I continue to visit him whenever necessary.”
Brigette frowned and rubbed her chin. “A straightforward and honest answer from a Fae?”
Sabine managed a weak smile. “I didn’t come here to subject you to my will, Brigette. Bane traveled to your city at my direction, and he volunteered to surrender to your men of his own free will.”
Brigette considered her for a moment. “Aye. That he did, but we still hold responsibility for him and his destruction. I’m already cleaning up after his mess with the bodies at our doorstep.”
Sabine frowned, the edge of her vision going dark. If she didn’t get some rest soon, she’d betray her weakness and end up completely at the mercy of the dwarves. But she couldn’t risk alienating a potential ally while Bane’s life was at stake.
Reaching for the strength of the Unseelie who had embraced her through the ritual crystal, she spun together a magical working designed to increase her awareness and understanding. It might be the only thing to get her through the next few minutes. She couldn’t risk asking Malek for help.
Breathing through the power, she focused on the aura surrounding Brigette. Its edges were tinged with red and grey, signs of anger and guilt, both warring for supremacy. Sabine paused, realizing Brigette had spouted her careless and angry words from a place of grief. If she was the leader of the Warrior Guild, she’d been the one to send her patrols outside of Razadon. It was her men who had been killed, murdered by Bane while he’d been overtaken by the magical corruption.
Sabine swallowed, allowing the magical working to dissipate. She placed her closed hand over her heart in a gesture of respect and lowered her head.
“You have my deepest condolences for the loss of your men,” Sabine said softly, speaking directly to Brigette’s grief. “They fought with remarkable skill. Each one was a credit to you and your guild.”
A flash of pain crossed Brigette’s face. The warrior woman drew in a sharp breath and pressed her fist over her heart to mirror Sabine’s gesture. “Aye. They were good men who retreated to the stone’s embrace far too soon.” She sighed and rubbed her temples. “You’ve caught me on a bad day. I was delivering the news to Codin Battlearm’s widow when the runner said I was needed here.”
Malek frowned and lowered his sword. “I imagine delivering such news would be difficult.”
Brigette nodded. “Aye, but worse for Evelyn. Without a living husband or child with ties to my guild, Evelyn’s wailing about being booted from her home. Codin’s only been indentured to the Warrior Guild for three years. The routine patrol was his first and wasn’t expected to be dangerous.”
Sabine’s brow furrowed. “I don’t understand. Why would she be forced from her home?”
Astrid turned toward her and explained, “We provide homes to probationary members of our guilds before they become full-fledged guildmembers. Since Codin wasn’t able to complete his apprenticeship, his home will be reassigned to a new prospective member.”
Sabine swallowed, her heart plummeting in her chest. She’d known each of the dead men had family and other loved ones, but she hadn’t considered the ramifications beyond the initial tragedy.
Malek frowned. “What will happen to her? Can she join another guild?”
Brigette shook her head. “She would normally return to her parents’ home and their guild, but they’ve been gone from this world for several years now. She’ll have to reach out to other relatives and hope they have room to take her in.”
Blossom tugged on Sabine’s braids and whispered, “Can we help her, Sabine? Pretty please?”
Sabine hesitated, her gaze falling on Rika and Dagmar standing a short distance away. She couldn’t keep accepting responsibility for people, especially when traveling with her would likely lead them more into danger. Even so, Sabine wasn’t willing to abandon Evelyn when Bane had been the one responsible for her current plight.
Malek brushed the backs of his fingers against hers. “You have all those messages to sort through, Sabine. She could stay in the servants’ wing of the embassy and help you. If it works out, you could always keep her on as an assistant or find some other task.”
Sabine looked up at him in surprise. It was typical to select someone from a prominent Unseelie Fae family to handle such things, but there wasn’t anything that said she couldn’t do what Malek was suggesting.
She gave Malek a trace of a smile before turning back toward Brigette and Astrid. “It would seem I could use some assistance in managing some household matters in Razadon. Within the next few weeks, some emissaries from Faerie will be arriving and I’ll need everything put into order. If things work out, I might be inclined to extend my offer on a more permanent basis.”
Brigette’s eyes widened. “Yer suggesting taking her into yer household? The girl’s smart, but she doesn’t have any experience. Besides, Dagmar’s family’s held the position as steward for Faerie’s embassy for centuries. I’m sure they’ve got cousins aplenty who can help you.”
Sabine glanced at Dagmar and Rika, who were keeping their distance but still straining to hear every word being spoken. “Dagmar and her family are doing a remarkable job with handling everything, but there are some matters which don’t fall within the scope of their normal duties. I’m planning on making some other changes which will benefit Dagmar and her family. I don’t believe they’ll be opposed to having additional help.”
Astrid gave her an approving nod. “As far as solutions go, it’s a tidy one. I think you should allow it, Brigette. The girl will never be a warrior, and her extended family has already petitioned for larger quarters. Release her from service, and you’ve removed a potential headache.”
“Aye,” Brigette murmured, rubbing her chin. “Very well. I’ll allow it if the widow agrees to yer terms.”
“Dagmar,” Sabine called, waving the redheaded dwarf toward her.
Dagmar ran over immediately, her green eyes darting between Sabine and the councilwomen. “Y-yes? Um, you need me?”
Sabine nodded. “Would you send a message to Evelyn Battlearm letting her know I’d like to speak with her? I understand she’s in mourning, so I’ll leave the time specifics up to her. She’s welcome to join me in my quarters at the Faerie embassy at her earliest convenience.”
Dagmar’s eyes bugged out of her head. Ordinary citizens were rarely invited to the embassy and never to the queen’s personal quarters. “Ah, er, yes. I can go let her know right now.”
Rika approached them and asked, “Can I go with her? I’d like to help.”
Before Sabine could respond, Blossom landed lightly on Sabine’s shoulder and said, “Me too! I can go with them, Sabine. I wanted to look for plants and stuff. Remember?”
Sabine paused, realizing Blossom was asking if she should snoop around. “All right. I’ll see you both back at the embassy once you’re—”
Rika’s head jerked up. “Hey! What’s—”
Sabine followed her gaze, catching a flash of movement on the ledge. One of the giant stone obelisks wobbled, teetering back and forth. Almost as though some invisible force pushed it, the obelisk came crashing downward right over their heads.
Rika screamed. Malek grabbed Sabine around the waist and hauled her backward, just as Astrid yanked one of her power crystals from her headdress. Sabine lifted her hand and sent a powerful magic blast upward.
Her gust of wind caught the stone obelisk, shifting its trajectory away from those standing below it. The stone marker crashed against the far wall of the prison’s entrance with enough force to shake the ground below their feet. The stone cracked in half, sending chunks of rubble to the ground.
Brigette shouted for reinforcements, but Malek was already in motion. With far more agility than any human, he scaled the wall and pulled himself up to the narrow ledge. He withdrew his weapon and searched the area around the remaining stones. Blossom had accompanied him, and Sabine saw her glittering figure dart in between the obelisks.
“I'll kill whoever is responsible for this,” Astrid promised, shoving her unused power crystal into her pouch. She scowled and stomped to the fallen obelisk. The noise from the breaking stone and subsequent shouting had drawn a great deal of attention. Dwarves were spilling out from the prison and from the nearby streets to investigate. Brigette called instructions to the prison guards, ordering them to search the premises and find a repair crew.
Sabine’s hands shook from exertion, and she curled them into fists to hide their trembling. A fierce headache had taken hold right behind her eyes, with spots streaking across her vision. She was dangerously low on magic and would likely fall into a restorative slumber soon.
Taking a shaky breath, she pulled a trace amount of power through the bond she shared with Malek, using his magic to stabilize her. Malek paused in his search and looked down at her, his gaze filled with worry. She shook her head to indicate she would be fine before turning toward Rika.
The human seer was still staring up at the ledge where Malek and Blossom were searching. Her wings twitched in agitation, and she started to lift into the air. Sabine gripped her shoulders to keep her firmly on the ground.
In a voice quiet enough to ensure no one could hear them, Sabine asked, “Did you see someone up there?”
Rika hesitated and then nodded. “I think so, but I’m not sure. It looked like a little blue creature. It was fuzzy and round, except for its long skinny arms and legs. I think it might have been one of the cave trolls Dagmar told us about.”
Dagmar’s eyes widened. “That sounds like them, but they don’t usually show themselves to outsiders. I’ve never heard of a cave troll hurting anyone before. If that obelisk had hit us, we would have all been killed.”
Sabine frowned and lifted her head to look up where Malek was searching. She hadn't seen anything specific, but she also didn't know much about cave trolls. The stone hadn’t fallen of its own volition.
It was possible Rika’s seer abilities had broken through some sort of glamour. Rika’s talents were still unpredictable, but Sabine couldn't risk asking too many questions where they might be overheard. Blossom was their best chance at sniffing out other creatures who possessed the ability to hide themselves from view.
