Down they came. Wait, wait. Ren tensed the bow string that little bit more. Away. Her arrow sped into the sky, thudding into the neck of the mage who fell soundlessly from the sky. Right behind it, three more arrows sang through the orchard, two more mages fell. That left five still descending.
Ren nocked another arrow and glanced left. More shapes coming. More mages. A dozen.
'Fire at will, fire fast,' she called. 'Left and incoming.'
She let go another arrow which caught a mage on his arm. His wings flickered, steadied then disappeared and he screamed a long 'no' as he plunged to the earth, his body slapping on to the collapsed roof of the west wing.
More arrows flew into the air, two missing their targets that Ren could see but now half a dozen mages were down, wings dispersed and advancing quickly, spells being prepared as they came.
Ren could feel panic spread through the Guild elves. She fired again, taking another mage in the eye.
'Keep firing, keep firing,' she urged.
But the mages weren't looking to attack them. They were moving towards the doors to her right. FlameOrbs sailed out and the doors exploded inwards. More came, and then more, and the orchard was filled with fire.
Chapter 39
'Ward!' yelled Hirad as glass and timber showered their backs.
In front of them, the Dordovans came again. More and more light filled the orchard and screams echoed up into the air.
'Ilkar!' shouted The Unknown, battering his sword into the face of a Dordovan, the enemy swaying back, the blade catching the point of his jaw and splitting the bone. 'Drop the shield, check the rear.'
'No and yes,' said Ilkar.
Hirad evaded a weak attempt and buried his sword in the chest of his enemy. More spells detonated behind him.
'Unknown!' he said, blocking a thrust easily. 'Second perimeter.'
'Not yet. Keep going. We can still hold them here.'
And they could. The Protectors spread fear through the attacking Dordovans, their mages couldn't get any spells away through the press without sacrificing their own men and, with dead and wounded being hauled away, the floor was slick with their blood.
'Talk to me, Ilkar,' said The Unknown, punching out with his dagger hand. Beside him, Aeb took the sword arm clean off a Dordovan but suffered a cut to his right arm as he did.
'The Guild elves are broken, mages in occupation. I have the door.'
'Keep it tight Raven,' urged The Unknown. 'Let's go again!'
Hirad roared and struck out again, ignoring his protesting muscles.
Lyanna was very unhappy. She'd tried to sit at the table and draw shapes and play with her doll but the sounds from all around her were horrible. She'd seen the old ladies lying in their beds and making noises like they were hurt as bangs and crashes made the cups wobble on the table and the floor under her chair rattle.
She knew it was all down to magic. She could sense it but didn't understand how it was all made and when she tried to get inside the minds of the old ladies the rushing of the wind pushed her away and made her head ache. She cried quietly, hoping that one of the strange men would come and see how she was, but they just stood where they were and watched up at the windows or the open doors into the ballroom and the dining room.
The magic noises had stopped now but the old ladies had all become still. They were still breathing but their faces didn't look right. They were wet and very white. Lyanna got off her chair and walked across to them.
'Ephy?' she said, crouching by the frail elf. 'Are you all right, Ephy?'
Ephemere's eyes flickered open and she tried to smile. Her hand came up and Lyanna could see it trembling as it patted her cheek.
'We are so tired, Lyanna,' said Ephemere. 'Is it all right if I sleep for a while?'
'But Mummy said if I was scared I could be with you,' said Lyanna.
'In a little while,' said Ephemere and her hand fell away. She spoke again, her voice fading. 'In a little while.'
Lyanna stamped her foot. It wasn't fair. There was no one to make her feel better and she needed someone now. She needed Mummy. She knew what she'd been told but it didn't matter. She walked towards the door to the dining room where one of the masked men stood. She tried to squeeze past his legs but he put a hand on her shoulder and looked down at her.
'You are to remain in here,' he said. 'It is dangerous out there.' •
'No,' said Lyanna, her anger growing quickly. 'I want my Mummy now, I'm scared.'
'It is safer in the kitchen,' said the man. T cannot let you leave here.'
Lyanna stepped backwards and the man released her shoulder and straightened. She tried to run past him but he stopped her easily, pushing her firmly backwards.
'No!' she shouted. 'Let me go.'
The man crouched to look at her and she could see into his eyes and they were horrible, like part of him had gone.
'Your mother will be very angry if you leave here. Stay.'
'You aren't allowed to stop me,' said Lyanna, not really under standing what she was saying but knowing it was right. 'There's things nearby you and they can make you feel very bad.'
The man in front of her flinched. 'Stay in here, please.'
T don't want to.'
The man was quiet for a while. Behind her all the other men were walking towards her. Lyanna felt even more scared. She looked at them all, huge and strange. They wanted to stop her. They might even hurt her. That wasn't nice.
'I told you, and you wouldn't listen,' said Lyanna, feeling dispossessed from her mind and body. 'And I won't stay here, I won't.'
Inside her head, the wind grew and she heard a chattering. There were the things and there was a way to release them, it was easy.
In front of her, the man clutched at the sides of his head and screamed. He fell backwards, writhing on the ground, his legs pushing him across the kitchen floor, his body jumping and twisting. Lyanna backed away and looked up at the other men who stood stock still, hands clenching and unclenching. Her chin wobbled and she started to cry at the sounds the man made. He wouldn't stop screaming.
'I'm sorry,' she said, starting to run into the dining room. 'I'm sorry. Mummy!' Her cries echoed into the battle-filled house.
Aeb hesitated next to The Unknown and only just forced a thrust aside. Even so the blade nicked his hip and he grunted in pain.
'Aeb, Aeb,' said The Unknown, slashing wildly to keep the Dordovans back. They were pressing hard now and both he and Hirad were tiring. Behind them, Ilkar's shield held against the mages in the orchard. He was relying on the unflagging force of the Protectors but they had all slowed perceptibly, their attacks not delivered with the usual force. 'Aeb, speak.'
The Protector shook his head and smashed his axe through the shoulder of the man in front of him.
'Lyanna is free of the kitchen,' he said. 'She has invoked Demon-Chain punishment.'
'What?' The Unknown jabbed forwards, his blade blocked, not believing what he had heard.
'Our brother is suffering. We can sense his pain. It is… distracting.'
All the Protectors had backed up half a pace, forcing The Unknown and Hirad to do likewise. They could lose this very quickly. More Dordovans filled the gap, gaining in confidence. Beside him, Hirad jarred his hand as he clashed swords with his enemy. There was a fresh cut on his scarred cheek.
'Erienne!' shouted The Unknown. 'Loose the spell and get back to the ballroom. Ilkar, go with her. Lyanna is out.'
Erienne stood and cast FlameOrbs over the heads of The Raven, not pausing to see where they landed
