‘We have magic,’ Wendah said.
‘We can help,’ Kutch added. ‘Phoenix has assigned us to one of the defence covens.’
‘It’s dangerous,’ Caldason stressed.
Wendah pointed. ‘There are kids much younger than us on the walls over there.’
He couldn’t argue with that. ‘All right, but be careful you don’t-’
A roar went up from the ramparts, then alarm bells were pounded.
‘To your positions!’ Karr ordered, his voice magnified by a booster glamour.
Disgleirio and his men were making their way past Caldason. ‘Where are you stationed?’ the Qalochian asked.
‘We’re roving. Filling holes where needed.’
‘I’ll be doing the same. Good luck.’
The redoubt had catapults, admittedly few in number, and they began a bombardment of the advancing forces. Uncertainty spells and terror hexes were unleashed from the battlements, and archers fired off streams of bolts in deadly arcs. When the first besiegers reached the walls, scalding oil and blisteringly hot sand was poured through the fortress’s murder holes.
Caldason was never still. He attended every breach, helped beat back many incursions. Like all the defenders, he fought tirelessly, and watched as comrades fell with arrow wounds or from searing sorcery.
None of it made any difference. The enemy were at the gates in shockingly little time. Their numbers and force of arms, and superior magic, paid off, and now they were breaking through.
Disgleirio had Karr and Goyter pulled back to safer reaches, the pair of them protesting bitterly. As the gates and walls succumbed to a human wave, the rebels began a pre-planned retreat. Some made for reinforced outbuildings, while others fell back to the main house, with its labyrinth of corridors, hideouts, keeps and subterranean tunnels. They could at least make it a costly prize.
When he saw that no more could be done to defend the walls, Caldason joined the withdrawal. Even as he made his way down, the gates were yielding. There was organised chaos in the courtyard below. The first of the enemy were trickling in, fortifications were being scaled.
Kutch and Wendah hadn’t got very far.
‘Come with me,’ Caldason said.
‘We’re supposed to be with the defence coven,’ Wendah protested.
‘Forget that. We have to fall back. Come on.’ He led them to one of the redoubt’s stables as the invaders began to flood in. His thought was that a horse might give him an advantage fighting off the invaders, or that he could direct a stampede their way. He also hoped to find somewhere for the two young people to hide, but all he could really think about was Serrah, and the possibility of them dying apart.
There were no horses that he could see. They must have been used in the battles being fought on various parts of the island, or more likely there was a shortage, just as there was of everything else.
Caldason was about to tell Kutch and Wendah to find another hiding place when the sound of a door slamming came from their rear. He turned, hand on sword.
Devlor Bastorran swaggered into the stable. The freakish looking meld accompanied him, and another, younger man, in uniform.
‘How very gratifying to see you again, Caldason,’ Bastorran announced. ‘I do hope you’ll be able to find the time for a little chat.’
Kutch was transfixed, but not by the paladin. His astonished gaze was set on the young officer with him; and the officer stared back in apparent amazement.
Caldason hid his own shock. ‘Always happy to accommodate someone who’s travelled so far to see me,’ he replied casually. ‘Let’s hope your visit’s not going to be too much of a disappointment.’
Bastorran grinned as he reached for his blade. ‘I doubt that.’
Hurrying along one of the redoubt’s many corridors, Serrah passed an open door and noticed that someone had left a tray of food on a table inside. She had no appetite, but remembering what Reeth had said, went in. The tray must have been there for a couple of days, and the meat and fruit looked suspicious. She contented herself with a hunk of stale bread, washed down with water. The effects of the ramp were starting to wear off, and she was feeling weaker, but this was no time to give in to energy loss. She forced down a couple more mouthfuls.
There were noises outside. Dimmed by distance and thick walls, but unmistakable all the same: the onslaught had started in earnest. Serrah discarded the powder-dry crust and continued her journey at a faster pace.
Everybody she passed seemed to be going about their own urgent business, understandably, and largely they ignored her. When she got to her destination, she found Kinsel outside the door.
‘Serrah, I’m so glad you’ve come.’ He was obviously relieved to see her.
‘What’s up?’
‘We were promised a healer, but nobody’s come.’
‘I wouldn’t hold your breath, Kinsel, given the state of things out there.’
‘I know, and I feel selfish when everyone’s so stretched. But I’m worried about Tan.’
‘Is she in desperate need?’
‘I don’t know,’ he sighed. ‘That’s what I was hoping a doctor would tell us.’ He moved closer and his voice dropped. ‘Though I’m starting to think she might need a priest, not a healer.’
‘Is she that bad?’ Serrah replied, alarmed.
‘No, no, you misunderstand me. It’s just that what ails her seems more…spiritual than physical.’ He added in a whisper, ‘I suppose I mean her mental state.’
‘I’ve not seen that much of her since she got here, but she does seem…well, almost a different person. What happened, Kinsel, do you have any idea?’
‘She had a hard time in Bhealfa before getting away, of course. I’ve never been able to find out exactly what she went through, though we can be sure it was difficult. But I’m no less in the dark than you, really.’
‘Perhaps it’s the baby. It’s her first, remember, and sometimes that can be a trial. Maybe once it’s born-’
‘Yes, of course.’ He looked at her, as though he’d pulled away from his own concerns and was seeing her properly for the first time. ‘I’m sorry, Serrah; you must think me terribly self-obsessed. I haven’t even asked how you are.’
‘I’m fine.’
‘Are you sure? You do look a little wasted, if you don’t mind me saying. What have you been up to?’
‘It’s an involved story, and it’ll keep. Look, things outside are turning critical. That’s what I came about.’
‘We know we’re hardly in a good position here, but-’
‘It’s going to get a lot worse. I want you to think about letting me arrange a move for you all, seriously this time.’
His worried look deepened. ‘I thought you said we were safe here.’
‘I did. You are. But you’d be safer nearer the redoubt’s core. You’re too close to the outside of the building.’
‘What’s the point? The situation’s hopeless, isn’t it?’
‘That attitude’s not very helpful to Tan, is it? Or the kids. And what’s your alternative, giving up and cutting your throats? There’s always hope. Hang on to it.’
‘You sound like the way I was once.’
‘Good. Be that way again, it suits you.’ She squeezed his arm affectionately, noting how much bonier it was. ‘Something will turn up.’
‘The Source?’
‘Our secret weapon?’ She had to bite back her cynicism, lest she negate her last little speech. ‘It’s not proving fantastically helpful at the moment. But it has come up with some interesting facts.’ There was no need to burden him with horror stories about the Founders. ‘Again, I’ll tell you later.’ Assuming there would be a later.
‘Something else worries me.’
‘Haven’t you got enough to be going on with?’
‘Seriously. I wonder what I’d do if it came to me being all that stood between Tan and the kids and those invaders. What price my pacifism then? How would I be able to protect them? Then I think about how I’m leaving the fighting to others, and feel perhaps I’m just a coward after all.’ He bowed his head.
