Give the Devil His Due (The Sanheim Chronicles, Book Three) (41 page)

“Madame Zora,” Kate said, sounding amazed.

Kieran looked through the portal to see a man with Carol start running away from them toward something Kieran couldn’t see.

“Janus!” Kate called. “We broke through.”

But Kieran could see the panicked expression on the man’s face.

“Look at him, Kate. Something’s wrong,” Kieran said.

Kate immediately rushed through the portal with Kieran right behind her.

“Quinn, no!” Janus yelled.

Kieran turned to see what Janus was looking at and watched as a giant worm-like creature came out of the ground and headed right for Quinn. Kate started screaming as the monster opened multiple mouths and swallowed Quinn.

*****

The banshee’s scream came with such force that it knocked the Wyrm back several feet, slamming it into the stone wall, much of which crumbled down on top of it. Its head rose in the air and it started thrashing around.

Kate stopped screaming and strode forward, unsheathing her sword. Since this thing had swallowed Quinn, she would simply cut it open until she could pull him out. She ran across the top of the fortress to the Wyrm, who continued to thrash wildly. It tried to look in her direction, but seemed to be in great pain and abruptly turned away.

Kate plunged her blade into its side and started hacking away. The thing’s green blood splattered all over her and it turned in her direction again. It opened its mouths to scream, and Kate slashed at its face.

As she assaulted one of its jaws, she saw another one open behind it. She sliced forward from left to right, trying to do as much damage as possible. She cut into the second mouth, opening a fountain of green blood.

Hang on, Quinn,
she thought.

She prepared to cut through the third mouth, drawing back her blade. But she watched as the tip of a sword came through the thing’s third mouth — from the inside out. She stood in the monster’s maw staring as a sword sawed its way through the third mouth.

The Wyrm continued to thrash weakly and Kate was thrown forward just as the third mouth finally opened.

On the other side, not three feet from her, stood Quinn, covered head-to-toe in gore and green blood — but alive and well, holding a sword in his hand.

Kate had never seen such a beautiful sight in her life.

Quinn looked up to see Kate standing before him with her own sword in hand.

“Hi, honey,” he said, and beamed.

The monster around them shuddered a final time and went limp.

The two immediately rushed to hug each other, still holding their swords. They kissed as if it were the end of the world and they were the last two people in it.

*****

Kieran looked in shock at the scene of carnage around them. Kate had transformed from the banshee back into herself as she and Quinn wrapped their arms around each other. Quinn didn’t seem to care either way. He heard the man next to him speak.

“That’s either the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen — or the grossest,” Janus said. “I’m honestly not sure which.”

Kieran turned to see the portal still open, with thousands of soldiers pouring through. Carol and her companions were also gaping at the portal. He could tell, however, that it was slowly closing itself, repairing the damage that Kate had done.

Kieran looked back at Quinn and Kate and started walking toward them. As he did so, he slung his backpack forward and began opening it. He cautiously approached the entwined couple, but he needn’t have bothered. Neither of them had eyes for anyone but each other.

I better do this now before I lose my nerve,
Kieran thought.

He drew the knife out of his bag.

Part III

Chapter 32

Everything had gone terribly wrong. Sanheim stared out at the rolling ocean, watching the waves pound into the cliff side. The view normally gave him some comfort, but not today. He heard someone approaching and knew who it was without turning around. Sanheim clenched his fists and tried to contain his anger.

“My Lord,” the woman said behind him.

He didn’t bother turning around.

“How do you explain your failure?” he asked, trying to keep the fury out of his voice. He had always prided himself on his emotional control, his ability to craft plans within plans. If one failed, there was always another. But now he was forced to confront the possibility that he may not have any more back-up plans.

“She’s stronger than I anticipated,” Carman said softly. “I underestimated her. And she had help.”

“Kieran,” Sanheim sneered. “I can understand why you failed to kill Kate — she was always a worthy foe. But Kieran?”

“She protected him,” Carman said.

“Did you think she was such a simpleton that she wouldn’t recognize his value?” Sanheim said, and this time he couldn’t keep the disgusted tone out of his voice.

“
We
still don’t know what his value is,” Carman said. “How could she possibly know?”

“She doesn’t have to,” Sanheim said. “He’s a wildcard. That’s all she needed to know. And now he is here, with her, and we have no idea what he’s up to.”

Carman lay her hand on his arm, but before he could control himself, he jerked away. He almost immediately regretted it. Her failure was inexcusable, but it would do him no good if she turned against him now.

“I’m sorry, my lord,” she said.

For a moment, his temper softened. However, he underestimated her own wrath.

“But I am not the only one who failed today,” Carman said.

He turned to her and saw the anger in her eyes. He should have expected it, yet it came as something of a surprise.

“I take it you are referring to me?” he asked. His tone was light, but the inquiry was not. No one questioned him, not anymore. Those days were long gone.

“Who else?” Carman asked. “My sons are dead. Who did you think I would hold responsible? Who sent them to their deaths?”

Sanheim chuckled and he saw her stiffen next to him.

“Well, my dear, you have two choices,” he said. “No, make it three. We can blame Dub, Dother and Dian themselves, who were foolish enough to find a way to die against an enemy far smaller and weaker. We can blame the perpetrators, who doubtless used guile and deceit to strike down a stronger opponent. Or we can blame the woman who picked them, trained them, called them her ‘sons,’ and complimented herself on a job well done.”

Carman took a step toward him. He watched as she — perhaps unconsciously — raised her spear in her right hand.

“No man dares to…” she said.

Sanheim reached out, grabbing her wrist and twisting it slowly until she grimaced in pain.

“You forget yourself,” he said. “I am no man. And you would do well to remember it.”

“Yes,” she said, her eyes defiant even if her words were not. “Yes, my lord.”

He was disturbed by the sound of another person approaching them, but he didn’t stop staring into Carman’s eyes. He could still see her fury, but he thought he saw a little fear as well. And that was good.

“Oh, am I interrupting something?” the voice said. “I looked for you at the castle, but your attendants said you were out here. I didn’t realize you had company.”

Sanheim didn’t bother to look in his direction.

“Rippon,” he said. “How nice of you to join us.”

He released Carman’s wrists, and they turned to face the portly messenger.

“Yes,” she said, not bothering to hide the disdain from her voice. “What does the errand boy want now?”

Rippon gave her a slightly mocking smile.

“The council has been informed that a challenge has been made,” Rippon said. “We await the results with great interest.”

Sanheim didn’t face him, but turned back to looking at the ocean.

“Then they have been misinformed,” Sanheim said. “No formal challenge has been made. It’s impossible. The woman may be alive, but the man is still quite dead. They cannot be the Prince of Sanheim.”

“And yet the woman is here, with ten thousand men at her back,” Rippon replied. “Or perhaps my Lord Sanheim did not know this?”

“He sees everything, you little worm,” Carman said.

“Funny that you would use that expression,” Rippon replied. “There was a worm, but it’s dead now.”

“Do you have a point, Rippon?” Sanheim asked. “Yes, she has an army. Whether she has the wherewithal to use it is another question. She may seek to take her lover back to the other side.”

“That’s impossible,” Carman said. “He’d die.”

“I know that, and so do you,” Sanheim replied. “But she may not. Unless someone has told her.”

He glanced meaningfully in Rippon’s direction.

“You wound me,” Rippon said. “The council has not interfered in any way.”

Sanheim turned and approached the man, looking down on him. Rippon involuntarily took a step back.

“I doubt that,” Sanheim said. “I doubt that very much. Who helped shield Kieran from me? Who helped him find the answers for which he was so desperately searching? And what else did you show him, I wonder? What did you whisper in his ear?”

Rippon bowed low.

“It grieves me to hear how you don’t trust us,” Rippon said. “All we have ever done is enforce the treaty and keep the peace between us. We have even overlooked a blatant disregard for the rules.”

Rippon looked meaningfully at Carman.

“We are not stupid, my lord,” Rippon continued. “We know you sent her to kill the girl. We also know she failed. Do not accuse us of the sin you have committed. You would risk the treaty to hold on to your position. We only want what’s best for everyone.”

Sanheim had to hold himself back from striking the man, from tearing his flesh off his bone. It would be so easy. He had only to reach out his hand and grasp Rippon by the throat. Both Rippon and Carman seemed to sense his feelings.

“My lord…” Carman said.

“I know what you think is best for everyone,” Sanheim told Rippon, edging closer to him. “I know what you would do to this world — and to all the others under your sway. And I will die to stop you, do you understand? Everything I have done has been with that in mind.”

Rippon looked up and smiled again.

“Of course,” he replied. “You only want what’s best, as do we. And if there is power that comes along with it, well, that is the burden we must bear.”

“Get out of my sight, you officious man,” Sanheim said. “I see your hand in everything. These intruders could not have come so far without your help. I don’t know what you’ve set in motion, but I know it will fail.”

“Very well, my lord,” Rippon said. “I will inform the council you are aware that a challenge has been made. I have only to…”

Sanheim grasped the man by his throat and without apparent effort picked him up and held him over the cliff’s edge. Rippon struggled against him, trying to pull at Sanheim’s arms as he looked down.

“I have grown tired of your games,” Sanheim said. “I told you before: no challenge has been made. She’s just one woman. She cannot be master here unless both of them stand against me and that’s impossible. He’s dead. And not by my hand.”

Sanheim added the last line in a defensive tone. Rippon tried to say something, but couldn’t speak. Sanheim could still see the smirk on his face. In a rage, Sanheim shook him.

“What do you know?” he demanded. “What have you done? Tell me. Tell me now or so help me, I’ll throw you so deep into a pit that your precious council will never find your bones, much less your body.”

Rippon was making a sound. At first, Sanheim thought he was trying to speak, but then he realized he was laughing. Sanheim held him further out over the cliff.

“No, my lord,” Carman said. “If you do that…”

“It’s impossible,” Sanheim shouted as he shook Rippon again. “I know the rules; I was there when they were crafted. They’ve cheated. I don’t know what they’ve done, but when I find out...”

Sanheim considered dropping the man. He knew what the consequences were, but in that moment, he truly didn’t care. But his good judgment finally got the better of him. He slowly moved Rippon back onto solid ground and released him. The man fell to the ground, gasping for breath.

“A wise decision, my lord,” he said.

“Get out of my sight,” Sanheim said. “You’ve said what you came to say. But mark my words. I will defeat them, as I have every other challenge you’ve sent my way. It is always a test, and I always pass.”

Rippon withdrew, that smug smile still plastered to his face.

“As you say, my lord,” he bowed. “Of course, the council wishes you the best of luck. We will watch the proceedings with great interest.”

He turned and waddled off into the distance. Sanheim watched him go, fighting the urge to pursue him. He forced himself to look away, to stare again at the turbulent sea. When Carman spoke, she was very quiet.