Redemption (Book 6) (39 page)

Kendril felt his mind reel from the information. He tried to lift himself to a sitting position. Pain exploded across his chest. He dropped back down with a gasp, his body shaking.

Bronwyn clucked her tongue. “The great Demonbane of Vorten? Pathetic. When Harnathu finds you it will be a massacre.”

A gunshot echoed down the street, followed by another, then another.

Bronwyn lifted her head up at the noise. She sheathed her dagger and raised the hood of her robe. “Well, that’s my cue. I should be going before the fighting gets down this way.” She leaned down and gave Kendril a quick kiss on the cheek. “Always fun, Kendril. Sorry you’ll be dead in a few minutes.”

Kendril stared up at her, his teeth clenched together against the pain of the gunshot wound.

Bronwyn smiled one last time, then stood and turned around.

Joseph stood on the boardwalk right behind her, his rapier in his hand. “Hello Bronwyn,” he said. “I’m not sure if you ever got my name. It’s Joseph.”

Kara cried out in pain as she released the string of her bow.

The arrow shot through the air, catching a Jombard right in the chest. He staggered back and collapsed into the mud of the street.

Without pausing Kara whipped another arrow out of her quiver. She tried to ignore the pulsing burn that cut across her chest.

Beckett swung hard with his sword, roaring like a wild animal. Two Jombards went down in front of him, staining the puddles of the street with their blood.

And still more Jombards came, howling and shouting as they ran through the streets of Redemption. The fire that Harnathu had started was spreading quickly, engulfing the eastern section of the town. Black smoke blotted out the sky.

Kara pulled back the string of her bow, fighting back a curse as the pain shot through her upper chest again. She aimed at a Jombard that was running up behind Beckett, a war-club raised high. Then she fired.

The arrow found its mark in the barbarian’s neck. He choked, sputtered, then dropped to the ground.

Beckett turned, out of breath. He glanced at the fallen Jombard. “Thanks, lass.”

Kara nodded. She was already notching another arrow.

The streets had become a confusing battleground. Hundreds of Jombards were pouring into the town, destroying everything in their path. The reeling defenders of the town were falling back towards the fortified causeway that led down to the docks. The fighting was becoming disorganized and chaotic. Street to street, building to building. Even room to room.

One thing was certain, however. Redemption was lost. Nothing would save it at this point. The defenders of the town were simply making a fighting retreat. Kara prayed to Eru that there was at least one ship left in the harbor. If not, then all the fleeing dragoons and militiamen would find themselves with their backs to the harbor and nowhere to go.

And then there was Harnathu....

A resounding roar shook the burning buildings of Redemption.

Kara lifted her head, her eyes wide.

Beckett wiped sweat from his forehead. “We need to move, lass. To the harbor.”

As if to punctuate his words, a building two streets away collapsed, sending up an explosion of dust, smoke, and embers.

“No argument here.” Kara turned, glancing down the narrow street behind her. She had a sudden thought of Joseph and Kendril. Were they safe? Had they made it on to one of the ships?

She had come all this way to save Kendril’s life. That’s what she had thought she was supposed to do, what she was driven to do. Now that she was here, things seemed anything but simple. Kendril had been
shot
because of her. How was she making anything better?

A score of Jombards came running around the corner of a ruined trading post just up the street, screaming and waving weapons. And behind them—

And
behind
them, something bigger approached, casting a dark shadow across the ground. The air seemed to vibrate and shimmer with heat.

“
Lass
!” Beckett said. He grabbed her arm.

Kara didn’t wait for a second urging. She turned and ran for all she was worth down one of the side streets.

Bronwyn leaped back and drew her dagger.

Joseph stepped forward and raised his rapier.

Bronwyn smashed her knee down on Kendril’s chest and put her dagger against his throat.

Kendril gave a choking gasp. His eyes rolled shut.

“Don’t move, or I’ll cut his throat,” Bronwyn snarled.

Joseph stopped. He looked at Bronwyn, then Kendril. “Don’t be stupid,” he said in a calm voice. “There’s no way out of this.”

“For you, maybe.” Bronwyn gave a cruel smile. “Can’t you hear? The town has already fallen. The Jombards are coming this way. They’ll be here in minutes.” She pressed the edge of her dagger tighter against Kendril’s neck. “Now drop the sword.”

Joseph kept his rapier pointed at Bronwyn. “Not going to happen.”

“Then I’ll kill him,” Bronwyn said.

“I drop my sword and you’ll just kill us both,” Joseph responded.

Bronwyn gave a tinkling, mocking laugh. “My, my,” she said, “wherever did Kendril find you, I wonder? You’re the same one who was back in Vorten, aren’t you? At the Dutraad estate?” She glanced at his dirty, mud-stained greatcoat and wide-brimmed hat. “Not a Ghostwalker, I see. Well then, I hope Kendril’s paying you very well.”

Another ear-splitting roar sounded to the east. It was much closer this time.

Joseph glanced up the street, his face uncertain.

“That?” Bronwyn lowered her hood with her free hand. “Oh,
that’s
Harnathu. He’s going to tear this town apart, piece by piece, and you along with it.” She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a stealthy whisper. “I’d really start running, if I were you. You don’t want to be here when he arrives.”

“I have a better idea,” Joseph said in his even, quiet voice. “Why don’t you put down that dagger and clear out of here while you have the chance?”

Bronwyn gave a chilly laugh. “Now, now. That wouldn’t be very smart of me, would it?.” She twisted the dagger harder against Kendril’s throat. “So why don’t
I
—?”

An arrow smacked into the wooden railing a foot from Bronwyn’s head.

Startled, Bronwyn jumped up and glanced behind her.

Kara came running down the middle of the street. She was already pulling another arrow from her quiver. Behind her came Beckett and a half-dozen dragoons.

Bronwyn cursed. She turned back around to face Joseph.

The grizzled pathfinder had already covered the short distance between them. He rammed his fist hard into Bronwyn’s face.

Without a sound the witch collapsed back against the planks of the boardwalk and lay still.

Kara ran up, breathing hard.

“Good shot,” Joseph said.

“I was aiming for her head,” Kara said. She leaned against the railing of the boardwalk, rubbing her chest with one hand. “The pain’s getting worse each time I shoot. It’s hard to aim—” She looked down at Kendril and her face paled.

“He never made it down to the ships,” Joseph explained quickly. “I came back up to look for him.”

Kara looked up at the dragoons and militiamen who were running past them. “We have to get him on one of those ships, Joseph. There’s a Seteru in the town.” She ran around behind Kendril and started to reach for the handles of the stretcher.

Beckett was beside her just as quickly. He pulled her back. “I’ll handle that, lass. You’re in no shape to be lifting it.” He nodded to Joseph. “Take the other side. We need to move.”

Joseph nodded, and sheathed his rapier. “All right. The causeway is—”

The building across the street exploded into matchsticks and fragmented wood.

All three turned their heads to look.

A massive, resonant howl echoed from the ruins of the building, shaking the ground and boardwalk.

Harnathu emerged from the ruins of the building. Heat danced in waves off his metallic body. Each step he took pulverized wooden boards under his incredible weight. He turned glowing, fiery eyes towards Joseph, Kara, and Beckett.

“Eru save us,” Joseph gasped.

Kara looked back in front of her.

Kendril was still sprawled unconscious on the stretcher. He looked exactly the same as he had in her vision.

Kara felt something snap inside her.

Harnathu stepped forward again, a low growl emanating from his steel-fanged mouth. “At last,” he said in a voice that sent shards of ice into the hearts of everyone who heard it. “The
Demonbane
.”

Kara stood up and jumped down into the street. She lifted her bow. “Take him!” she yelled back over her shoulder. “I’ll cover you. Go!”

Joseph started forward immediately, reaching a hand out. “Kara, no,
don’t
—”

Beckett blocked him and pushed him back. “Focus, man! I need your help to lift him. Grab the—”

Harnathu threw back his head and roared again.

Windows along the street shattered, sending shards of glass flying onto the wet planks of the boardwalk. Some of the closer dragoons and militiamen bent in double, covering their ears and screaming in pain at the sound.

Kara winced, deafened by the noise. She bent back the string on her bow, hearing nothing but ringing in her ears.

Harnathu lowered his head and charged forward.

It was a picture out of a nightmare. The metal monster before her looked like nothing that could or should exist in the mortal world. The heat scorched the air around it, rippling in waves as it moved.

Kara brought the string back to her ear.

Pain burned across her chest, filling her vision with tears.

Kara ground her teeth together until she thought they would break. She breathed in shallow gasps and tried to steady her aim. Pain and fear blended together into one feeling that eclipsed everything else.

Harnathu swept a burning arm out at two fleeing militiamen that were in his path.

They both vanished into a smear of blazing flesh and bone.

Kara fired.

The arrow flitted across the distance, smacking into Harnathu’s shoulder. It shattered into pieces against the pulsing-hot metal.

Harnathu didn’t even seem to notice the impact. He swung his head around, looking down the street past Kara. “
Demonbane
!” he bellowed.

Kara risked a glance behind her.

Joseph and Beckett were moving as quickly as they could with Kendril between them on the stretcher. Joseph was looking back over his shoulder at Kara as he ran.

Harnathu started forward with another shaking roar.

Kara retreated back a step. She reached for another arrow.

This was ridiculous. What had she been thinking? She couldn’t cover her friends. She couldn’t even
harm
the—

The
water
.

She had forgotten all about it.

Kara dodged off to the side, splashing through a wide puddle as she ducked down by the boardwalk’s railing.

Harnathu didn’t seem to notice or care. He moved down the center of the street, the heat that rolled off his metal form sending a fog of steam up off the ground. His glowing metal eyes weren’t even on Kara.

Kara snatched the canteen from her belt with trembling hands. She wasn’t sure what to do with it. Throw it at Harnathu? Sprinkle it on herself?

Harnathu moved right past Kara, paying her no more notice than if she had been a flea on the back of a donkey.

Kara covered her face with both hands, feeling the intense heat of his form scorch her skin and hands as the monstrosity passed.

Further down the street, Beckett and Joseph tried to hurry their pace.

Kara could already see that there was no way they could outrun the Seteru.

Then she remembered. The drops of water in her dream. They had been shaped—

Like
arrows
.

Kara yanked the cap off the canteen. She pulled the quiver of arrows off her shoulder and began to dump the water on the slender shafts.

A scream caused her to raise her head.

Harnathu had a militiaman in one massive hand. The man was screaming, his body burning like a piece of dry kindling.

Kara shook the canteen harder, trying to shake out as much of the water as she could.

With a dismissive flick of his hand, Harnathu tossed the unfortunate man into the side of the nearest building. He moved forward again, heading straight for Kendril, Joseph, and Beckett.

Joseph and Beckett both put Kendril and the stretcher down in the middle of the street. They drew their swords and stepped forward.

Kara tossed the canteen away and shouldered her quiver as she rose to her feet. She snatched one of the wet arrows and put it on her string.

Down the street, Joseph saw her. He lifted a hand and started to say something.

His words were lost in another ground-shaking roar.

Harnathu charged right at them. He raised a red-hot metal paw in the air, ready to strike.

They didn’t stand a chance.

Kara ran out into the street behind Harnathu, almost tripping in the ankle-deep mud. She took a breath and bent back her bow. Water dripped from the wooden shaft of the arrow.

It was useless.
Stupid
. Kara knew it, deep in her gut. Joseph had been right. It was just water, after all. She had run enough cons in her time to know that nothing in any of the water anywhere in a temple made it miraculous, or holy, or blessed or anything other than just ordinary water.

But against her better judgment and all reason, she found herself believing. Even
praying
. To her surprise she found herself mouthing a simple, rote prayer. Something she had learned as a child so long ago that she couldn’t even remember when or where.

It was completely ridiculous, and she felt ashamed. Prayers and faith were for men like Joseph, not a thief and a rogue like herself. She had too much dirt on her hands, too many stains she couldn’t wipe clean.

Even if Eru did exist, which Kara doubted, He wouldn’t listen to her. Why should He?

Kara fired.

The arrow flitted through the air, sending a spray of water behind it. It slammed right into the middle of Harnathu’s back.