Taliesin Ascendant (The Children and the Blood) (43 page)

She paused and then bent to catch the little girl’s eye.

“Is that okay?”

Biting her lip, Lily said nothing for a moment, and then she nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”

“Thank you.”

Lily nodded again.

Exhaling, Ashe straightened.

Cole was still watching her. The look on his face hadn’t changed.

Tightening her grip on Lily’s hand, Ashe pulled the little girl with her as she headed for the car.

The vehicles crested the rise and the roar of the tires faded as the sedan slowed. On the opposite side of Lily, Cole raised an eyebrow as the factory came into view.

“This,” he said, “is where the Merlin council is hiding?”

Ashe glanced over, her brow drawing down at his tone. “Yeah. Why?”

His gaze went to her briefly before returning to the decrepit building. “Nothing. It’s just… different.”

She watched him a moment longer, trying to judge the meaning behind the words.

The sedan drove down the hill, following the other car to the gate. A dozen wizards lined the fence, watching the vehicles roll closer. Nathaniel pulled to a stop and tossed a quick look to her in the rearview mirror.

“Don’t let your guard down,” he ordered.

The command was unnecessary, but she nodded anyway.

His gaze flicked to Katherine in the passenger seat and then he pushed open the door. From the car ahead, Elias emerged as well. Checking Nathaniel’s position by the sedan, the councilman nodded and then approached the gate.

Ashe swallowed dryly as Elias called to the guards, his words unintelligible over the distance. One of the guards responded, and she could see Elias’ anger at the man’s words. He snapped back, the guard paused, and then ostentatiously consented to draw out his phone and call someone else.

Moments crawled past. The guard hung up and then grinned. Nearly inaudibly, Katherine muttered something, her disgust clear even if the words were not. With a sharp motion to the others, the guard stepped away from the gate.

The barrier flickered. Cole’s eyes narrowed, whether from pain or caution, Ashe couldn’t tell, and he twitched slightly as though surprised. Moving to the sides of the road, the guards waited as the gate rolled away.

Elias turned and walked back toward his vehicle. In the passenger seat, Katherine tensed, barely breathing. By the driver’s side, Nathaniel stood motionless, his gaze locked on the guards.

The councilman sank back into the car and shut the door. With a small growl, the engine turned over. Still watching the guards, Nathaniel returned to the driver’s seat and put the sedan into gear.

Ashe’s gaze slid to the guards as the cars crept past the gates.

Of the dozen men, only a few met her eyes. Contempt twisted their faces, making her blood boil. The lead guard let out a chuckle, equal parts disgust and satisfaction in the noise.

The rest wouldn’t look at her. Eyes on the ground, they let the cars pass with expressions as still as stone.

Warehouses closed in. On the rooftops, more guards watched, motionless as the vehicles moved by. In the rearview mirror, Nathaniel studied the men as the barrier flickered and strengthened, sealing them all inside.

Near the opposite end of the parking lot, the sedans stopped. Drawing a breath, Nathaniel opened the door while, on the other side of the car, Katherine did the same.

Ashe looked down at Lily, trying to ignore the nervous twisting in her stomach. “Just stay near me,” she told the girl quietly.

Lily nodded.

Echoing the motion, she pulled Lily with her as she left the car.

Broken concrete crunched beneath their feet as they walked toward the entrance. Wind swept around them, stirring the weeds and, up ahead, the rooftops showed no sign of security.

The factory door swung wide. Ahead of her, Nathaniel and Elias came to a stop, their magic strengthening simultaneously. Two dozen guards emerged from the building and fanned out immediately, surrounding them.

“Nice welcoming party,” Elias murmured.

Nathaniel snorted, his gaze tracking the guards.

Ashe pulled Lily closer, ready to strip the magic from the first one stupid enough to attack.

From the circle, the man nearest the door stepped forward. “The regent has consented to grant you an audience,” he said coldly. “You will follow us.”

“The regent.” Elias repeated flatly.

Eyes narrowing, the man turned and headed back inside. The other guards stepped closer, tightening their circle.

Jaw muscles jumping, Nathaniel glanced to her and then started forward. Silent, she followed.

The quiet beyond the entrance was eerie. The din of the factory was all but gone, replaced by a hush that made her skin crawl. In front and behind, the guards marched, pressing her and the others onward with their presence alone.

Light from the factory floor cut through the shadows and when she turned the corner, she felt Lily tense. Wizards were everywhere.

And every single one was waiting for them.

A narrow path cut through the crush of Merlin, leading to the distant stairs. The walkways hosted more watchers, though at the opposite end of the gallery, the crowds stopped. Only a few people stood on the stretch of walkway on the far wall, and even over the distance, she recognized them immediately.

Air slid from her. She’d wondered how it all went after she left. Now she knew.

Along the path between the masses, the guards strode. Without a word being spoken, the crowd pulled back to distance itself from them. She glanced around, trying to read faces, and then abandoned it as useless.

They’d think what they wanted. She was just here to give them a chance.

With military precision, the guards stopped at the base of the steps. The lead guard bowed deeply to the man atop the staircase, and then turned to Ashe and the others, dark threats in his eyes.

She ignored him, her gaze on the men above.

“And so the prodigal queen returns,” Darius called down serenely. “Again.”

From the top of the steps, he regarded her, a small smile touching his lips. Smooth lines of a gray suit covered him, with silver threads twisting through the fibers to glisten in the light. The remaining councilors waited against the wall and, while contempt showed on the faces of some, others just dropped their gazes to the floor.

But one of them had another expression altogether. Across the factory floor, he’d seemed to be standing so straight at Darius’ right hand. But closer, she could see the truth in his eyes.

Cornelius looked like a man in whom something had died.

“Are you willing to let us help you at last?” Darius asked her.

She pulled her gaze from Cornelius. The calm on Darius’ face didn’t waver and she looked away before anger could get the better of her.

“I’m here to warn you,” she called to the crowd. “The Blood have taken over Taliesin. They’ve killed the council and they’re going to blame the deaths on Merlin. You need to evacuate before the Taliesin find out where you’ve been hiding and come here for revenge.”

Cornelius’ eyes closed, pain flickering over his face.

“Oh, highness,” Darius sighed, and the pitying edge in his voice could have made the air bleed. “Please. First surrender and now this? Do you care nothing for what this does to your people?”

“I never ordered surrender, Darius,” she snapped. “And I’m trying to save their lives.”

He shook his head sorrowfully. “Perhaps, if you will only let us separate you from these influences that have so clouded your mind–”

“The queen isn’t mad,” Elias cut in. “The Blood are real and they–”

“
Mister
de Vila,” Darius interrupted. “How dare you? As if secretly encouraging our poor queen in her delusions wasn’t enough, you would advertise the crime that forced us to remove you from your position by saying these things before witnesses as well?”

“Crime?” Elias retorted. “You want to talk
crime
, you sick bastard? We saw what you and Sebastian–”

“You’ve already been found guilty, Mister de Vila. Do not try to twist your case–”

“Enough!” Ashe yelled. Breathing hard, she turned from Darius toward the crowd. “This man is lying to you! He wants you to think Taliesin is the only threat, when the truth is there are wizards out there who make Taliesin look like nothing! You have to evacuate before–”

“Highness!”

She looked back. Cornelius stared down at her, his expression as close to begging as she’d ever seen him come.

“Please,” he said more quietly.

Darius glanced to him. For less than an eye blink, his mouth twitched toward a contemptuous smile.

And then the expression disappeared back into pity.

“Oh, your majesty,” Darius said. “These ‘invisible’ wizards aren’t real. And they’re not controlling Taliesin. Trust us, your highness. We investigated it thoroughly and the cripples did as well. They finally admitted they’d never found evidence of what your dear friend, the ‘Hunter’, Josiah Carter claimed. So please. Let go of these delusions and allow us–”

“They are real.”

Ashe blinked and looked down. Lily was eyeing Darius as though uncertain of what she was seeing, but not sure she liked it.

“What’s wrong with you?” the little girl asked. “Ashley’s not crazy. She’s just trying to save everybody from the monsters who killed our dad.”

Darius’ eyebrow rose. His expression flickered toward humor before swiftly settling into a concerned cast.

“Is this ‘Lily’, your majesty? Your sister whom Taliesin killed? Oh, your highness, I beg you. Send this poor little human girl home. Allow us to get you the help you need.”

Sighing heavily, Darius shook his head as if he’d exhausted all he could think to do. At the motion, Lily started forward, but Ashe’s grip held her back.

“The Blood exist and they’re coming, Darius,” she said. “The Taliesin council is dead, and once the Blood have a hold on their people, they’ll be after us too. Whether you accept it or not.”

She looked back at the crowd. “We’re leaving Croftsburg. Any of you who choose to believe me can follow us–”

“That is enough!” Darius interrupted. “Queen or no, you do not have the right to frighten our people into panicked flight, or to jeopardize their safety with your delusions. I will not allow your–”

The sky quivered.

As though he could see past the ceiling to the barrier surrounding the factory, Darius looked up and everyone else did as well. Murmurs of confusion rose around the room.

“Oh hell,” Ashe whispered.

The background of magic in the air shuddered again. Harder.

“Elias!” she yelled. “Portal!”

“No!” Darius shouted. “She’s trying to drive you beyond the factory’s protection! Guards! Grab her!”

The nearest man’s magic vanished and he barely had time to gasp before the ring of guards was blown to the floor. People stumbled back, horrified.

“Elias, now!” Ashe snapped. “Everyone, get out of here! The shield’s coming down!”

“She’s lying!” Darius bellowed. “No one can breach our–”

The barrier shattered.

“Run!” Ashe shouted.

Doors around the factory blew open at the pressure of portals forming inside them. People racing toward the exits tried to stop only to be shoved forward by others coming behind.

Magic scythed through the crowd as Taliesin wizards poured into the room. Ashe spun, grabbing Lily and ducking fast as energy sliced the air over her head.

Chaos took hold.

The circle of guards disintegrated as the crowd tried to escape in every direction at once. Screams filled the air and people tumbled into her, knocking her hard to the side and making it all she could do to hang onto Lily. Through the mass, she saw Cole stagger as wizards crashed into him, and then he was gone. Nathaniel flung another wizard away in effort to reach her, and then three more smashed into him and she lost him to the crowd. Blasts of energy ripped through the roof, sending concrete and steel raining down to the sound of more screaming. Magic pounded her shields from behind, sending her stumbling. Clutching Lily with all her might, she looked back, searching for the attacker.

On the walkway, Darius was shouting. Cornelius was nowhere to be seen. The other councilors were running and some of them had already reached the stairway.

Darius’ hand lifted toward her, magic crackling madly around his fingertips.

In the conference room doorway, a portal swirled and the ponytailed man and his blonde companion stepped out. Darius turned, his eyes going wide.

The woman’s lips curled into a smile.

Ashe gasped, spinning away with Lily as blood splattered the wall.

Cornelius slammed into her back. “Move!” he ordered, grabbing her and Lily under his arms and propelling them with him into the crowd.

People fell back as Cornelius’ magic tore them down. She couldn’t tell if they were Merlin or Taliesin, and he didn’t seem to care. His grip dug into her as he strode through the chaos, carving a path to a destination only he seemed to know.

She caught sight of Cole behind a chunk of concrete from the roof. Eyes wide, he spotted them and lunged from the cover. Energy shot through the air behind him, slicing across the space where he’d been and wizards tumbled into his path, thrown by battles all their own. Cornelius turned toward him, preparing to strike.

“Don’t!” Ashe yelled.

Diverting his attack, Cornelius cut down a Taliesin coming their way. Barely sparing the young man a glance, Cornelius pushed Ashe and Lily onward, leaving Cole to fall in behind.

Another explosion shredded through the roof, sending beams slamming down on the crowd. Whipping them around, Cornelius shielded them as metal strafed out from the impact, and then he shoved them sideways, sending her tumbling with Lily into the shelter of tented slabs of concrete. Spinning, he grabbed Cole’s arm, hurling the young man after them.

“Stay down!” Cornelius ordered.

Magic tore the air near his head and the wizard ducked back swiftly, cursing.

“Are you okay?” Cole asked Lily, shouting to be heard.

The little girl nodded. He looked up at Ashe.