Eye of the Tempest (37 page)

My shields were strong enough that neither she nor her sword could penetrate them, but I felt the blow. The sword concentrated the Alfar’s force, making it harder to deflect than mage balls.

[And your labrys will do the same,] it said. [If you use it…]

With that hint, I raised my ax and tentatively began hacking with it. The problem was, to get anywhere with the hacking I had to pull my shields back to behind the ax. Which meant I left myself vulnerable, especially since I was quickly discovering how very little I knew about edged-weapons fighting.

When I’d nearly had my hands whacked off twice, and I’d taken about a dozen hard blows to my shields, the creature intervened.

[May I?] it inquired politely. [If you’d just open your mind…]

I did so, and the next thing I knew it felt like I was floating just over my own head. The creature had shoved me out of my own body so it could do its thang. I watched as Jane began her own offensive—much to Phaedra’s evident shock—which included some of her own ninja twirlings and a seriously fast series of thrusts and slices that had worn Phaedra’s shields down to nubs. The creature kept up the onslaught until Phaedra had retreated to the other side of the room, panting.

[Jane?] asked the creature, politely. [Would you like your body back?]

Yes, please
, I thought. While it was fun watching Phaedra getting her ass kicked, I wanted to be doing the kicking, and not just my body.

[You have a plan,] the creature said, as my consciousness floated back down into my skin.

Yes
, I thought. It had been obvious, really, once I was floating well above the action.

As soon as I was back in my body—which was panting for breath despite the creature having done the mental lifting—I struck while Phaedra was still vulnerable.

There was water dripping everywhere, and I let the ax dangle at my side as I reached for it. Not as a power source, but as it was—lovely, dripping H
₂
O.

“What are you doing?” Phaedra asked, trying to build back her shields. But already there was a thin film of water between her feet and the cavern floor. I pulled harder, and the water that had been trickling from the cave walls now gushed, covering the floor. That said, I was careful to keep all of that water’s power for myself. It swirled under Phaedra’s feet, but just as if she were a magical-Tantalus, it would never quench her power’s thirst.

My plan was elegant, and a bit cruel. Unfortunately, it would also take forever to fill the whole space of the cavern, and I didn’t know if the creature liked getting its eye wet, so I wove a basket of power around Phaedra.

[Lovely,] the creature complimented me, as I began carefully neutralizing and then funneling all that water in the room, in torrents, into the prison I’d built around Phaedra. Nearly empty as she was of all other elements, and being surrounded only by water magic I wouldn’t let her touch, she could only put up a token struggle.

When she cobbled together enough strength that she managed to reach through the water at her feet toward the earth, I lifted the whole orb off the ground. The labrys helped me, cheerfully spitting power at me as I raised it—and the orb—high into the air. Phaedra sloshed about, up to her neck in water, like a goldfish won at a carnival.

“You know who taught me this trick?” I called to her, raising my voice so she could hear me over the sloshing. “You did,” I answered when she didn’t respond. “In Boston, on that pier, after you let your minions rape and kill those innocent women.”

Phaedra glared at me, clearly unrepentant.

“I should kill you,” I whispered, thinking of all the atrocities she’d committed or commanded or allowed.

[You should kill her,] the creature agreed.

“But I won’t,” I said and sighed, lowering the orb so it hovered inches off the floor. She was contained, helpless. I’d wait till Blondie found us, and then we’d figure out how to deal with the Alfar.

[You won’t dispose of her?] the creature asked.

No
, I thought.
I’m no killer
. Then I thought back to the men who’d lost their lives attacking Anyan and me.
Well, at least not this kind of killer. Not an executioner
.

The creature’s mind was warm in mine as it scanned my feelings.

[You really are kind, Jane True,] it murmured, as I felt its power shift. The next thing I knew my shields surrounding Phaedra had burst, spilling water everywhere. The Alfar was free.

But she wasn’t going anywhere.

Her expression was frozen in horror, gazing down through lifeless eyes at the tentacle speared through her torso.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

You didn’t have to do that,” I whispered, as the tentacle shook Phaedra free. The bald little Alfar fell to the wet floor with a
splat
. There was no reason to check whether she was alive or dead, not with the hole in her chest so big I could have stuck my head through it.

For a second I envisioned myself wearing Phaedra as a necklace, and I shuddered.

[No,] it said, in my mind. [I didn’t. But it made things easier.]

I looked at the Alfar’s huddled form. “I had her contained.”

[Yes, you did. But I’ve seen inside her thoughts. She would never have stopped coming for you. Or for me, for that matter.]

I understand that
, I thought.
But to kill her—

[Was something I took upon myself, so that your people did not have to. There is no place that could guarantee her captivity, and she cannot be allowed free at this juncture. As I said, I saw into her mind…] With these words the creature’s thoughts trailed off.

“And?” I prompted.

[And you must believe me when I tell you that I am by no means the most dangerous thing either hidden or hiding out there. My prison’s crumbling might destroy a corner of the world… but there are things out there that will gladly take the whole planet with them.]

“Is this what you saw in Phaedra’s mind?”

[She was but a minion; she knew only her own mission. But she had heard rumors, and knew where others had been sent.]

“Are they looking for other creatures? Other artifacts?”

[Both. But this is not a conversation we should have in private…]

I felt the creature’s power swirl about me, and then I heard a
pop
as Blondie apparated in front of us.

“What the fuck?” she said, throwing up shields and peering madly about. When she saw me, she sprinted over and nearly knocked me down with her hug.

“Hey, girl,” I said, laughing and trying to figure out where to put my arm. It was tough holding someone while also holding an ax. Or a labrys. Whatever.

“Are you all right?” she said, rearing back to scan my face as she held tightly to my upper arms.

“I’m great. Better than Phaedra,” I said, gesturing with my non-ax hand.

“Ugh,” she said. “Holey-moley.” Then she saw what I was carrying.

“Jane,” she said, her eyes shining. “You accepted!”

I looked at the labrys. I looked at Blondie. I looked at the labrys again. And then I put two and two together.

“You conned me!” I shouted, turning around to confront the giant eyeball.

Its presence in my mind was smug, amused, and entirely unrepentant.

“I’m your champion now, aren’t I?” I asked.

[Yes,] it said. [By accepting the labrys, you’ve accepted my power.]

“I don’t suppose I can exchange it for a pair of socks?”

[No,] it said. [Now let me see my child,] it insisted, and I realized I was standing between the eyeball and Blondie. So I moved out of the way, my brain struggling to compute that I’d just unwittingly made myself the creature’s little pet.

[Hello, child,] came the creature’s voice in my mind. I saw Blondie gulp, go pale, then turn to the great eyeball. To my surprise, she fell to her knees.

“Sire,” she whispered, tears choking her throat. “I’m so sorry…”

[No need, my child. We are past apologies. It is good to see you with my real sight,] it said.

She sniffled, and then turned to me.

“I’m proud of you, Jane. You did what you had to do.”

“I found the creature,” I said, trying to figure out if I might actually deserve the creature’s confidence. “And I did pass the Alfar tests. Well, sort of.”

“And you defeated your Rival,” she said. I frowned.

“Did you let Phaedra get to me?” I demanded.

Blondie looked guilty.

“I knew it. I knew you could have just kicked her ass. Why did you let her get through to me?”

[Do not blame my child, my child,] the creature said. It needed to expand his pet name vocabulary, for sure. [You had to face your Rival, to earn my power. The Alfar set certain rules. I was not able to do away with them, only alter them. One of the Alfar rules was that you had to face a Rival. My child only did as commanded, facilitating your duel.]

“I’m sorry, Jane,” Blondie said. “I hated keeping all those secrets. Now, however, my mission is complete, so no more lies?”

“There better not be,” I said, admittedly rather petulantly.

“So, why was I brought here?” Blondie asked, uncomfortably.

[I was telling Jane news you must know. What I saw in Phaedra’s mind—there is much to fear, and her people have been busy.]

“Did you see where they’re searching? And which things they’re looking for?” Blondie asked.

[They are gathering their forces behind two creatures of evil—of darkness. These beings would destroy everyone merely for the joy of creating chaos. Jane must stand in their way.]

“Me?” I squeaked. Blondie gave me a sympathetic look.

[With the weapon you now possess, yes. You must fight, Jane. And you must lead.]

“But what if I can’t? What if I’m not good enough?”

[You shall not be coerced, child. I do not write your destiny. I
am
giving you a choice. But the rebellion needs a leader—someone who can be as much figurehead as warrior.]

“A figurehead? Like what… Joan of Arc?”

The creature thought over my question. [Yes, that is an adequate analogy.]

“She got burned at the stake,” I reminded it.

[Perhaps not entirely adequate.]

“So that’s all I have to do? Exist? Point at things and make speeches? Try not to get set aflame?”

[No, Jane. You
will
have to fight. It’s why I gave you my weapon. I meant it when I said you were my champion. It couldn’t be the one you call Blondie—she’s the cause, in some ways, of all of this, although she can’t be blamed. At heart, this is my fault. My fault for interfering, my fault for being naïve. And so I have created this weapon, imbuing it with my own power, for one whom I deemed worthy in both heart and mind. It will give you what you need in body and strength.]

I looked at the labrys, still glowing with power. I let it go ahead and cool off, so I could really see my so-called destiny. It wasn’t much, to be honest. It looked very plain, very rough-hewn. But when I applied my power again it glowed like it was made of crystal.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” I admitted, my voice small.

[I know. And that is why you were chosen. Your humanity will bring you victory. I knew you were a candidate when you were younger, but after being in your soul, when you were attacked… You are what the rebellion needs.]

“Speaking of being attacked, do you know who did it?” Blondie interrupted.

[Yes, I know who did it. They were humans, hired by the enemy months ago. That was the first chance they had to attack. And before you ask, it was not Jarl, but one very like him. They work for the same forces.] I felt the creature’s concentration again focus on me. [You must learn to think bigger than merely Jarl, Jane. Your enemies are not solitary, nor are they without resources beyond the physical.]

So all of the conjecturing I did with Trill and Nell was correct. There is something bigger going on… and Jarl is just one face of our enemy
.