The Child Thief

The boat ran aground against a large piling of stones. Ulfger heard commotion, loud popping sounds, four of them. Shouting, cries. He hefted Caliburn, crawled out of the boat, and climbed up the rocks.

He found well-lit pathways of poured masonry edged by trimmed hedges leading in all directions. He headed into the trees, toward the shouts, looking for her, for the runt, any of them would do, for he planned to kill them all…every one.

NICK JUMPED AT the sound of the gun, watched the Reverend topple. Both he and Cricket hunkered down, pressed themselves deeper into the wide hedge. They had the pond at their backs and the Captain stood just a few yards in front. Danny and the Lady were now so close they could almost touch them. Flesh-eaters were everywhere, leaving them no place to run. Shit. How the fuck did this happen?

The Captain turned the revolver on the Flesh-eaters. Not one of them moved.

“Just let me and the boy pass. That’s all I ask,” the Captain said calmly. “You can have the woman.”

“NO!” Ox roared. “We do not bargain with demons and murderers. God’s justice will be done.”

Some of the Flesh-eaters looked as though they were waking up from a nightmare, like they’d had enough of the insanity, and began to fall back, but most stayed. Nick could see that these believed. It burned in their eyes, the same fervent faces that had condemned him back at the fort. And here, in this world, their mania seemed stronger than ever.

“The pond,” Cricket whispered. “Get the Lady into the pond.”

“What?” Nick said, then understood she meant for them to snatch the Lady and flee across the pond. “No,” he hissed, grabbing her arm. “That won’t work. We have to—” His mouth clamped shut. The Flesh-eaters were pressing in. They’d be discovered any second now. Did he really want to die in this bush, like a quivering rabbit? They had to do something, anything.

“Fuck. Fuck,” he said, still trying to figure out how he’d gotten himself right smack in the middle of this nightmare. “Fuck,” he said again, gritted his teeth, and stood up, just stood up like a jack-in-the-box—leaves and limbs fluttering off him, having no idea what he was going to do next.

Cricket popped up next to him.

The Flesh-eaters halted; all eyes fell on them—hard, murderous eyes, and Nick immediately regretted his rashness. “Ah fuck.”

The Captain glanced over at them and blinked, cocked his head sideways, as though trying to make sense of what he was seeing.

“DEMONS!” shouted one of the Flesh-eaters, pointing at them with a wavering hand. “Demons,” several of them echoed, glaring at them, their faces twisted with hatred and alarm, clearly vexed by how they could be here in this place.

Nick felt his heart would explode, felt if he didn’t act, and act swiftly, his legs would buckle beneath him. He yanked out his sword, bared his teeth. “THIS IS OUR CITY! DEMON CITY! ” he screamed, and screamed it so loud and forceful that even he believed it. “WE’RE EVERYWHERE! A MILLION HUNGRY DEMONS AND WE’RE GOING TO EAT YOUR MOTHERFUCKING SOULS!”

That rattled them. Fear flashed across their faces as they jerked about nervously, searching the trees, the bushes, behind them, above them. Even Ox appeared spooked, his eyes flickering back and forth in their deep sockets.

“Hurry,” Cricket said and dashed over to the Lady. Nick jumped over, and together they hefted the Lady to her feet. The Lady looked at them with dazed, faraway eyes.

“C’mon, Danny,” Cricket said harshly. “Help us!” But Danny just stood there, seemed incapable of doing anything but staring on in wide-eyed terror.

Nick gave the rope a hard yank, pulling Danny toward them. “Danny, move your ass!”

“This is her sorcery!” Ox said, then bellowed: “WE MUST KILL HER. KILL HER HERE AND NOW. KILL HER BEFORE SHE BEWITCHES US ALL!” He raised his sword and charged the Lady.

The Captain fired, managed to hit Ox twice before his revolver clicked on a spent round. The shots barely even slowed the giant. The Captain made to intercept Ox, when two men rushed him. The night erupted with the shouts of men and the clang of steel on steel.

Cricket tugged both the Lady and Danny toward the pond. The Lady saw the water and her eyes came alive. The three of them stumbled down the bank.

Ox came for them, eyes blazing. He brought his sword about in a terrific arch, aimed at the Lady’s neck. There was no time for Nick to do anything but act. He lunged forward, swinging Maldiriel upward with all he had. The blades clashed. The crushing jolt almost knocked Nick’s sword from his hand, but he managed to smack the giant’s blow aside. The blade missed its mark, slicing deep into the Lady’s collar instead.

Ox roared, yanked his sword free, and turned on Nick.

Nick had an instant to realize this hulking monster was about to kill him, an instant to scream to himself to run. But he didn’t run. A snarl escaped his throat and he attacked, striking for the giant’s neck. Ox brought his sword to bear, and when he did, Nick feinted, sliding down low and fast, slicing the giant just beneath the kneecap. Ox let out a howl and swung for Nick’s head. Nick ducked the blow and became aware that it didn’t matter that this giant was massive and powerful, because he, Nick, was fast, impossibly fast, just like a certain golden-eyed boy he’d met in a park a lifetime ago. He hacked into the giant’s ankle, relishing in the feel of Maldiriel biting deep into the man’s tendons. “Down, you bastard!” Nick cried. “Go down!”

Surprise and shock showed on the giant’s face. He howled and collapsed to one knee. Cricket came at him from behind and thrust her sword into the back of his neck, her blade punching out the front of his throat. Ox’s eyes went wide. He let out a loud gurgle and toppled over. Nick had seen far too many horror movies, where tenacious monsters get up time after time, to be satisfied with that. He let out a howl—a wild animal sound—and brought Maldiriel down with all his weight behind it, chopping the giant’s head from his shoulders.

Nick looked for the Lady, saw her clutching her collar. Blood poured through her fingers. She collapsed to her knees, then slid into the pond, pulling Danny in with her. She’s done, Nick thought. There’s nothing more we can do for her. Time to get out of here.

A sharp cry, and another man fell before the Captain. Four men lay moaning at his feet. The Flesh-eaters fell back. Nick hoped that was it, that they’d had enough, when a dozen more men came running up, climbing over the hedges, filling in the ranks. There were too many now, just too many. He considered making a mad dash into the pond to take his chances there, but there were Flesh-eaters along both banks now, a few wading into the water, intent on seeing to it that the Lady never came out. But they needn’t bother. Nick saw her eyes roll up in her head and she sank below the dark water while Danny just stood there, knee-deep in the pond, staring numbly at her.

This is it, he thought. I’m not going home. I’m not going anywhere. Nick ground his teeth together. Shit. This wasn’t supposed to happen. So stupid. Why had I been so stupid?

“Shore up,” the Captain called to Nick and Cricket.

Nick met the Captain’s eyes, saw the will and spirit of a man who intended to live.

The Captain grinned at them. “I say if they want us, then we make them pay a heavy toll. What say you?”

Nick found the Captain’s spirit infectious. He nodded back and closed ranks with the man. The Captain clutched Nick’s shoulder, gave him a hearty shake. “Good to have such a sure hand at my side.” Cricket followed suit, and the three of them stood back to back, swords out, daring the Flesh-eaters to come within reach. “COME,” the Captain yelled and waved the Flesh-eaters on. “WHO’S NEXT TO DIE?”

The Flesh-eaters pulled together and began to press in.

Nick’s pulse thundered in his ears. His breath came hard and fast.

“Steady,” the Captain said.

Nick clutched his sword in both hands, squeezing the hilt so hard his fingers hurt. “Mom,” he whispered. “I love you Mom.”