The Darkslayer: Chaos at the Castle (Book 6) (16 page)

What is going on? I should be celebrating my freedom right now. How
did it get even worse for me?

He wanted to flee as soon as he got topside, but what about Erin? She had to be in danger. But in the hands of her mother?

This is madness!

Staying back a flight of steps, Lefty fell in step behind her. At the top, Kam pushed the door open. The dim light of the alley
gave Lefty new life. He had doubted he’d ever see the world above again, and now he was only steps away. Kam stepped over the threshold, through the doorway.

Don’t lose her, Lefty. Don’t lose Erin
.

Reaching the top step, the door slammed shut in his face.

“What?”

Jiggling the handle
, nothing gave. It was locked.

Noooooooooooooo!

“Kam!” he pounded his tiny hands on the door. “Kam!”

Suddenly, the door shoved inward, the edge cracking
on his head, knocking him down to the landing. He rolled up to his feet.

The silhouette of Kam stood atop the doorway.
“Get the sword, Little Fool!”

The door slammed shut again.

Downcast, down the steps he went, rubbing the knot on his head.

HURRY!
A voice yelled down inside his head, watering his eyes.

Lefty’s heart was pounding like a tap hammer when he reached the bottom.

The great sword lay in the gondola, completely wrapped in burlap. He reached in, wrapped his hands where the hilt should have been, put his back into it, and heaved.

How can anyone wield such a long and heavy thing
?

H
e towed the Great Sword of Zorth behind him up the stair. The door swung open at the top. Chest heaving, he stepped out into the alley that guarded the secret entrance to the Nest.

Somebody should be out her
e.

The alley always had eyes and ears open.

A signal would get an unrecognized thief through. Palos kept strict control on things, and someone should be there to ask questions. It was odd that there was nothing. A stiff breeze whipped down the alley, bringing the foul odors of rotting food and excrement to full splendor. There was something else as well.

Squinting, he saw three forms slumped against the wall, the f
aint steam from the warmth of their bodies turning thin. At the end of the alley, Kam stood, back to him, chin up, observing passersby. Swallowing, Lefty dragged the sword past the three dead thieves. Their tongues hung from their mouths, and their throats were crushed in. He quickened his pace.

Oh my! Oh my! Oh my!
Kam shouldn’t be killing people. What is wrong with her? I wish Billip and Mikkel were still here. And Georgio!
I’ve been a fool.

Kam strode down the street, startling the passing folks
who came too close. They murmured and whispered while they scurried away.

Behind her, Lefty struggled to keep up, lugging the sword behind him.
He wanted to scream at her, “Where are you going?” but the thought of doing so only tightened his neck. So he followed her, past the storefronts, past the high towers, to the edge of the city, where she came to a stop.

“No!” she muttered angrily to herself.
The red gems in her hand flared with new life.

Baby Erin began to cry.

“I’ll not do this with my baby!” Her body shuddered and convulsed. “Get out of me!” Her knees wobbled beneath her. 

Lefty let loose the sword and rushed
to her side just in time.

Kam’s
eyes rolled up inside her head.

Lefty
got Erin just as Kam fell. The baby girl was wailing.

Kam lay sprawled out on the ground, bleeding from the nose, her once vibrant form
harrowed.

“Easy, Erin,” he patted her and bounced her in his arms. “I’ll get your mother help
. I promise.”

***

There were faces. Some she recognized, others she did not.

“Kam, are you in there?” one voice said. It was Lefty
; she was sure of it, but he sounded like he was miles away.

You will do as you promised. You will serve!

The voice inside her was angry, hateful, controlling. But there was something else. Desperation. It needed her; she didn’t need it. That much she’d figured out. So she fought. She fought for herself, for Erin, to regain her life again on this world.

“I’ll not serve. I’ll not fulfill your evil will
.” Her mind thrashed against the unseen force.

You will!

Something grabbed the inside of her chest and squeezed it.

“Kam!” Lefty wailed.

“Mother of Bish! What has happened to this woman? She is sick!”

A crowd had gathered.

“Possessed!”

“Bewitched!”

“I’m not anything of the sort!”

But none heard a thing she said.
Unknown to her, they whisked her frame through the streets of the dark and dropped her on the porch of the Magi Roost.

“You’re on your own, Halfling,” one said.

“Don’t give up
, Kam. We’re home!”

You will serve me! You will obey!

Kam had agreed to serve in order to save Erin. Palos had almost killed her before she rescued Erin, but she had made a deal with the force inside the gems. It had assured her the safety of her baby. And now, men were dying. She’d even almost killed Lefty, and more death was coming.

“No!”

She would not bring more death into the world. She was not a killer! Was she?

“I’ll die first!”

Yes, yes you will!

Her heart pumped slower and slower and slower.
A dark force squeezed it. Burned it. Suffocated her with power.

Kam stretched her arms out.

“Erin, where are you? Erin? I will hold you. See you one last time!”

You’ll see nothing ever again!

“Lefty!” an excited voice cried out. “Where have you… KAM!”

“Jo—line?” she said
.

The pressure on her chest eased.

What is this?

The force inside her retreated.

She lurched up, gasping for breath, clutching baby Erin in her arms.

“Get some water,
Lefty!” Joline ordered. “Mercy! Prepare some clothing. Kam! Lords! My dear, where have you been?”

As the darkness that clouded her eyes lifted, Joline’s sweet face took shape. The woman was as distressed as she
had ever seen her before. She smelled nice, like flowers. Tears formed in Kam’s eyes. She hadn’t hoped to ever smell flowers again before.

“You don’t want to know,” she said, coughing.

“You can tell me later,” Joline said. Her friend helped her to her feet and led her to a comfortable chair by the fire.

“No,” Kam said, eyeing the flames. “I’d rather sit somewhere
…
else
?”

Her word froze on her tongue. The Magi Roost was not what it once was. Flies buzzed in the air
, and the scent of blood was strong. Four men lay on or near a table with their heads blown off. She puked.

“Oh dear! Get a bucket too
, Lefty!” Joline kept her strong arm around Kam’s back and led her to the bar. “You look like you could use some Muckle Sap.”

A bottle slid across the bar and refilled a goblet on its own.

“Who…” Kam’s voice drifted off. An incredibly handsome man, blond headed and blue-eyed, smiled from the other end of the bar. Beside him stood a rough cut woman that looked like she made a living splitting logs.

“Joline
?” the man said. His voice was purposed and poetic. “Can I be of further assistance?”

Lefty returned with a pitcher of water and a bucket.

The bucket clonked off the floor, and he began to shiver.

Kam followed his star
e to the headless men at the table. She’d never seen so much blood before. Not even when Fogle mind-grumbled Venir. She retched again.

“Look at that! Just look at th
at, Scorch!” the rough cut woman said. “I’ve never seen such an adorable halfling before. Can I keep him?” She waved her arm. “Get over here, Little Fella!”

“That’s Darlene
, and the man’s name is Scorch,” Joline said. “And you better drink this and drink it fast. The pair of them have almost finished off the entire stash.”

Lefty crept behind the bar and disappeared.

Kam sat up, clasped the neck of her robe, pulled her shoulders back, and shot down her Muckle Sap. There was nothing normal about these people. And where were all her patrons?

“My name is Kam. And this is my
tavern. And I’d like to know what in Bish you strangers have done to it!”

“Easy
, Kam.” Joline patted her arm. “They did that.”

“Is that your baby?”
The rough cut woman, Darlene, reached out towards Erin. “Can I hold her? We’ve heard so much about her!”

The woman reminded Kam of a feisty raccoon.

“No. But what you can do,” Kam said, “is stop answering my question with a question and give me the answers I seek.” She tried to summon her powers, but nothing came forth. She was empty, the force inside her silent, hiding and waiting.

“Easy now, Kam
.” The handsome man, Scorch, formed the words on his lips in an engrossing manner. “We had an incident. The men over there sought to make sport of my friend, so I taught them a lesson.”

“I just love the way his mouth moves when he speaks
,” Joline said. “Isn’t it fascinating?”

It was, but not enough to overcome Kam’s anger. All she’d been through. She was home now
! She wanted answers.

“So you blew their heads off!” She chucked the bottle at his face.

It stopped an inch from his nose and settled quietly on the bar.

Darlene hopped on the bar
and ripped out her knife.

Scorch snatched her
by the ankle and dragged her down.

She
landed hard, her cheek bouncing off the bar.

“Settle yourself, Darlene. This is her establishment, not ours.” Scorch
twirled his finger. Darlene rolled over the bar onto the hardwood floor.

“Oooch!”
Darlene bounced up, rubbing her cheek and hindquarters. “I’m sorry, Kam. I’m not known for my manners.” She took another seat at the nearest table, groaning as she sat down. “It won’t happen again.”

“Here,” Joline
said, “let me take baby Erin, Kam. You need to rest yourself.”

“No!” Kam
said. She held Erin tight to her chest. “She won’t be leaving my sight for quite some time, not after all I’ve been through.” She eyed Darlene. The woman didn’t come across as dangerous. If anything, she seemed bright and friendly, but there was something that just didn’t sit right. “Especially a stranger. But, her bassinet will do.  Fetch it, will you?”

“
Certainly, Kam, certainly,” Joline said.

Darlene started whistling and clapping her hands like she was calling a puppy.

“Here, little halfling fella! Come to Darlene!”

Lefty didn’t appear. He could have been anywhere.

Returning her attention to the man, Scorch, Kam caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror behind the bar. The locks of her auburn hair were matted and frayed. Her eyes were sunken, and her cheek was swollen. She rubbed her lip that was split in two places. To top it all off, her robe barely covered her cleavage―or the rest of her.

“I wish I had a figure like yours,”
Darlene said. “My mother always said I had part dwarf in me on account of these stocky parts. But I didn’t think dwarves could breed—
hic—
with other peoples.” She closed one eye looking at Kam, shaking her head. “Ain’t no dwarf in you, though.”

Scorch chuckled.
“Forgive Darlene. It seems she’s over indulged in your Muckle Sap, which I must admit, is quite delightful.”

“So, was it
you
who killed all those men?”

“With a single thought,” he said
. His teeth were white. Perfect. “And I’m sorry for the mess. I just don’t understand why Trinos picked such leaky people. But I have to admit, it does offer a more profound effect.”

“You should have seen all those people
—
hic
— running out of here like their arses were on fire,” Darlene said. “I don’t know what was funnier. That or all those heads exploding. It was like blowing up pumpkins with whicker wonkers when I was a girl, cept’ there weren’t any seeds in their heads.”

That’s when Kam got a closer look at all the dark stains on Darlene’s clothes.
She was covered in them from the waist up. She turned away as Darlene started swatting at flies again and calling for Lefty. “Here little …”