Cyrus felt Gabrielshudder in horror. Then the flock of black birds swept down and perched in thesurrounding trees. A low hiss came from beyond the wall. The gates exploded outwards,splintering off of their hinges. The alves leaped back, horrified. Beyond the brokendefenses stood the Sea Zombie, bent and shrouded in her tattered robes. Her pointedhood hid all but her narrow chin and wooden costume nose. Black bile drippedfrom her cracked lips. Cyrus glared at the witch, frightened and enraged. How hadshe penetrated his fortress so easily?
A large company ofrock klops and nagen surrounded her.
“Fetch him,” the witchwheezed.
A single nagen detachedhimself from the company and stepped forward through the shattered gates. The alvesstood back, their faces twisted in fear. The nagen grasped Cyrus by the collar andhurled him beyond the wall. He crashed headfirst into the mud and filth. Gabrielreached out, frantically probing his mind.
Not now, Cyrus pleaded.
He forced the hunefrom his thoughts. Rorroh’s minions surrounded him.
The silk and steelnagen stalked forward. Cyrus could not be taken like this. He rose up and dug aleft hook into the creature’s side. The villain ate the punch with ease, then counteredwith a teeth-rattling headbutt. Cyrus’ vision exploded. He found himself again face-downon the earth, choking on mud. He rolled to his side, ignoring Gabriel’s penetratingthoughts. The assassin neared. Cyrus coughed dirt, then crawled to his hands andknees. If only he could get to his feet. The villain kicked him in the stomach,then kneed him in the face. He fell to his side, sputtering blood and spit. Themasked intruder kneeled on his spine and bound his wrists and ankles with thickrope. He hacked up more blood and earth as he struggled to break free.
The children staredat Cyrus with shocked horror, their eyes red and swollen. The adults watched,cringing, with grim fascination. Holblkalf, Llysa and the four other outcasts beamedwith smug vindication.
“Kill him,” Llysascreamed, “Take him and kill him. For Niels, kill him.”
Behind her, Sarah stoodwith a mixed expression of anger and despair. She turned her back on Cyrus andfled to the rear of the wall.
Cyrus squeezed hiseyes shut. He felt his plummeting heart shatter. He had done his best and Sarahhad betrayed him for it. She was right. He did not belong here. Why had he comeback? Why had he thought he could help these miserable, twisted people? He wasno savior of legend. He was just a runaway who should have stayed hidden in thenorth.
Two nagen liftedCyrus from the ground and hoisted him onto their armored shoulders. Rorroh limpedforward. The scent of rot and decay soiled the air.
“There were barelyany negotiations,” she whispered, stroking his chin with her blackened hand, “Theysold you for baubles and trinketsss.”
Cyrus stared at hertorn, grey flesh. He studied her sinewy, stitched neck. Why had he thought hecould destroy such evil?
“Bind and cage theressst,” the Sea Zombie ordered.
“No!” Hoblkalf cried,coughing. “We had a deal. We delivered you the runaway. The island is ours. Leaveus be.”
“You bargained awaythe life of a pure creation,” the witch said, her oily, black eyes glisteningwithin the murk of her moldy, frayed hood. “You all did. When you trade inflesh, you forfeit your soul. You are forever mine.”
“No!” Llysa shrieked,“you promised.”
The villagers beganto huddle together, shouting and screaming. Rorroh’s minions converged on the gates,their weapons raised. Cyrus spotted the young girl with the ice-grey eyes, weepingand clinging to her tattered doll. Again, he shut his eyes tight, trying toblock out the children's cries.
“Poor boy,” Rorrohwhispered, into his pointed ears, “you never stood a chance.”
Cyrus began to drownin an ocean of despair. His failure was complete. The sea was forever hers.
Chapter30
TORTURED SOUL
RORROH LED A SQUAD OF SIX nagen down a muddy trail, towards theport side wall. Two of the tall assassins carried Cyrus on their shoulders asif he was a plank of lumber. The scent of blood and rot drifted on the salty breezeas rain threatened the sky above. He spotted more dead klops lying stiff alongthe gnarled pathway. The alves had shot their unwanted allies in cold blood throughthe back. How had Cyrus been so blind? How had he so wrongly underestimated thevillager’s treachery?
“It was merely amatter of time,” Rorroh croaked, peering from beneath her sour hood. “Your peopleare so easily led down the path of pride, hatred, and mistrussst. Why try to rescuecreatures so crooked and feeble? You should have taken the hune for yourssself andleft them to devour each other on their cold, crumbling island.”
Cyrus thought of Niels,of Sarah. Her scorn was still fresh in his mind. You don’t belong here. Why did you come back? His heart broke allover again. Why had she betrayed him?He had wanted to return his people to their long forgotten glory. Where had he gonewrong? The slaying of Moro? She could not have been trusted, but had there beenanother way? Had the liberation of the klops slave mine clouded his judgment,corrupted his soul? Had drinking the infants’ blood doomed him for all eternity?How else could he have survived?
He had risked all searchingthe north for Gabriel and had conquered the klops mine in the process. Thequest had cost him his innocence, but had cost others so much more… He had beencaptured by wolves, dragged through klops-infested fjords, and mounted to the prowof an attack ship. He had destroyed his captors, taken Knavish’s crew hostage,and reunited his people with their long-lost hune. He had killed so many along theway, but had the ends not justified the means? He had brought his people weapons,allies, and knowledge of an enemy bent on their destruction, and still they hadbetrayed him. Why?
Was his people’s salvationtruly his only motivation, or had there been some other deep, nagging desire burningwithin the pit of his being? Had he not longed to rise above those who had mistreatedhim, had mocked him for so long? Did he not wish for some sort of reprisal, maybefor those who had wronged him to cower before his towering presence and beg forforgiveness?
Cyrus squeezed
