The Spirit Eater (39 page)

Her thoughts stopped as something brushed against her cheek. She looked up in alarm before she saw it was her coat. The black fabric had wrapped itself up nearly to her head, coiling itself like a snake ready to strike. It knew she was upset, she realized, and it was reacting to her, trying to protect her just as Slorn had told it to. Suddenly, she had an idea.

She bent her head down and pressed her lips into the fabric. In all her life, even the parts she couldn’t remember, she was sure she’d never tried what she was about to do, but at this point, she didn’t care.

I wouldn’t try it, the Master said sadly. It won’t work. Failures like you shouldn’t waste other people’s time on wild shots.

So what, she thought fiercely. It’s not like I have anything left to lose.

The voice laughed and said something back, but Nico didn’t hear it. All she could hear was the memory of Josef’s voice in her ears telling her that even if she failed, she could not stop trying. You were only a failure once you stopped trying.

Holding his voice in her mind, she took a deep breath, and, for the first time in her life, began to talk to the spirit of her coat not as a seed, but as a wizard.

Tesset stopped running, slamming his feet into the hard-packed dirt. Sparrow skidded to a stop a second later, turning just in time to see Tesset whip Nico off his shoulder and hold her out in front of him like an ill-behaved child.

“What are you doing?” he said. “You’ve been muttering for nearly a minute now.”

Nico just stared at him, her lips drawn tight.

“Powers, Tesset!” Sparrow said, bracing himself against Eli, who was now blue, but still kicking. “You stopped us for some muttering? Knock her out and let’s go.”

Sparrow reached to bash Nico across the back of her head, but his hand hit nothing but air. At that moment, Nico’s coat unraveled, and she dropped out of Tesset’s hands.

Tesset grabbed for her as she fell, but the threads of the coat wrapped around his arms, spoiling his aim. Nico landed on her feet and rolled away, coming up just out of reach with her arms out, ready to block whatever came next.

But nothing came. Tesset just stood there, watching her as he calmly tested the massive tangle of black thread that tied his arms together. He was alone in his calm, however. Beside him, Eli and Sparrow were staring at her like she’d grown another head.

“Powers, child,” Sparrow said. “What happened to your arm?”

Nico lowered her eyes, carefully avoiding Eli’s horrified stare. “None of your business. Give me the thief.”

Sparrow started to laugh. “Are you joking? If you’re going to run, then run. I’m sick of your trouble, but the thief stays. There is no way I’m leaving this bollixed-up pit empty-handed.”

Nico shifted her stance. Without her coat, she could feel the spirits around her, already awake and on the verge of panic, start to lose control. The voice in her head was silent, but she could feel him waiting, watching in anticipation. “Give Eli to me, or else,” she said.

“Or else what?” Sparrow rolled his eyes. “This is taking too long. Tesset, let’s go.”

Tesset looked at him. “You sure? Alric said to get her to safety.”

“Hang Alric!” Sparrow said, pulling Eli’s rope taut. “Since when are we League? There isn’t enough cash in the world to make me put up with this.”

As he spoke, Nico flexed her demon claw. She couldn’t take Tesset, but Sparrow was another story. She tried one last time. “Let him go.”

Sparrow sneered and started to turn away. Nico raised her claw with a snarl, but just as she launched herself forward, an enormous whistling scream cut through the air as something shot overhead. It exploded through the buildings, including the one right next to them, and landed with an enormous crash in the arena behind them.

For one long second, everything seemed to stop. Tesset’s mouth opened, shouting a warning that he never quite got out. Beside him, Sparrow was staring up as the enormous wall of the building above them, broken by whatever it was that had crashed through the town, broke free of its supports and began to fall forward. Even Eli had stopped struggling. He was also watching the wall as it fell toward them, his bound hands coming up to cover his head. And in that long, slow moment, Nico decided what she would do.

She spun in midair, turning the demon arm away from Sparrow. The creature inside her snarled in frustration, but Nico ignored it, focusing all of her attention on her other fist, her striking fist, just as Josef had taught her. Sparrow was wide open as Nico’s human fist slammed into his jaw, knocking him back. He stumbled in surprise, and his hands let go of the rope around Eli’s neck just as Nico caught the thief’s shoulder. The moment she had him, Nico changed directions, kicking off the ground and throwing herself toward the collapsing wall. She glanced up and found what she was looking for, a glass window. She stepped into position and forced Eli down, covering him with her body as the wall crashed around them.

The glass broke over her shoulders, and Nico grunted in pain as the shards sliced her skin. The ground shook under her feet as the wall landed, and then, quickly as it had happened, it was over. Nico cracked her eyes open. She was standing perfectly in the center of the window, surrounded by broken glass. Eli was choking and panting beneath her, grabbing his throat, which was bright red where the rope had cut in. Right beside his knee, buried by the broken glass, she could see Tesset’s hand, still wrapped in the threads of her coat. The rest of him was lost beneath the collapsed wooden beams.

She reached down and helped Eli to his feet. “Are you alright?”

“No.” Eli coughed. “I’m bruised, beaten, and bloody… and alive, thanks to you.”

Nico smiled and bent over, reaching down for the thread of her coat. It woke when she brushed it, sliding up her arm like a snake. She winced when she touched Tesset’s skin. His hand was still warm, and she felt a twinge of guilt. For all that he’d been her captor, he’d been a good man. Too good to die like this. But she couldn’t think about that now. She kept her arm down, letting her coat reweave itself across her body until she was completely covered again.

“Let’s go get Josef,” she said, standing up.

“Right,” Eli said, rubbing his neck as he looked around at the wreckage. “I don’t suppose you know what that was just now.”

“No,” Nico said, picking her way quickly through the debris. “And I don’t care. All I want to do is get to Josef.”

“Fair enough,” Eli muttered, starting after her.

Their building wasn’t the only one that had collapsed. The dirt roads were now more like tunnels through great piles of broken timber, and they had to change direction several times when the way was blocked. The air was filled with horrible sounds, mostly the demon’s horrible screaming mixed with explosions and the sound of buildings collapsing, though at this point Nico was surprised there was anything stil left to collapse. But despite the horrible noises, she pressed on, letting the sounds lead her toward the center of town, where Josef was.

They were almost there when Eli broke the silence.

“Nico,” he said, quickening his pace until he was walking beside her. “Why did you do that?”

His voice was soft, but Nico flinched anyway. “What?”

“Save me.”

She took a deep breath, pushing a fallen beam out of the way. “Because Josef would have saved you. And because we’re a team.” She stopped to look at him. “Comrades don’t leave each other in the lurch. Aren’t those your words?”

Eli nodded, but his face was closed and expressionless, just as it had been during those awful three days in the cabin. Nico looked away, blinking back tears.

Did you really expect anything to change?

Nico shook her head. But then, just as she reached out to knock a broken beam out of the way, Eli grabbed her human hand. She froze, but he didn’t let her go.

“Thank you,” he said, squeezing her hand in his.

Nico looked up in surprise.

He gave her a wide, genuine smile before letting her go. Nico didn’t move. She just stood there, staring as Eli walked past her and started pulling at a fallen window frame that blocked their way.

“Are you coming?” he said, looking over his shoulder.

Grinning wide, Nico ran to help Eli tear down the last bits of debris between them and the building where Josef had landed.

The outer edges of Izo’s bandit town were completely destroyed. Great piles of wood and broken glass lay over the once orderly streets, and those buildings that were standing were little more than skeletons teetering on supports that still occasionally twitched in terror. But down on what had been the road to the canyon’s southern exit, the rubble was stirring.

Glass slid crashing to the ground as Tesset pushed himself up with a groan, tossing the splintered wood beams aside with one hand. His other hand was still on the ground, fingers dug into the dirt where he’d braced himself to make a shelter of his own body for Sparrow, who was curled in a ball on the ground, coughing and clutching his bleeding nose.

“Do you see them?” he choked out.

“No,” Tesset said, surveying the wreckage.

Sparrow began to curse loudly, tearing off his ruined coat and using the silk lining to wipe the layer of dust from his face. “This is just bleeding brilliant. No thief, no demonseed, no legendary sword, and no missing Shaper wizard. Let’s just quit now, before Sara sticks us on file duty for the rest of our lives, how about?”

“No need for that quite yet,” Tesset said. “We know where they’re going.”

“The swordsman?” Sparrow said. He wiggled his tongue around before spitting the dirt out of his mouth. “There’s no way we can beat them there, and I’m not sure I want to. Just listen.”

He hardly needed to point it out. The demon’s scream was everywhere. It reverberated through the air, horrible and unnatural. Despite his years of training to master such a basic human weakness as fear, Tesset couldn’t help the cold shudder that ran down his spine. Still, his face was bored and impassive as he stared down at Sparrow. “Do you want to be the one who explains to Sara why we’re coming back empty-handed?”

Sparrow heaved an enormous sigh and held out his hands. Tesset yanked him up, and they began to clear their way toward the arena, now hidden behind the toppled buildings.

Benehime crouched by her sphere, a wild look in her white eyes as she watched her darling boy run through the panicked city.

Just one word, she murmured, clenching her fingers against the pulse of demon-born fear reverberating through the world. Just one plea. She smiled as she saw Eli trip. Things will only get worse, darling. How much farther can you go on your own? How much more can you suffer for your pride? She pressed her lips against her orb. All you have to do is say you need me. Submit, and all the world will be yours, darling star.

But as she watched him, something blurred her vision. She blinked several times, but it was no use. A great wind was circling at the top of her sphere, deliberately obscuring her view. Scowling, Benehime crooked her little finger. The wind vanished instantly, reappearing in the nothingness beside her.

Illir, she said coldly. You had better have a good reason for making a nuisance of yourself.

The West Wind bowed deeply before her. “All apologies, Shepherdess. I knew of no other way to get your attention.”

Benehime frowned. And why does a wind need my attention?

“With all respect, White Lady,” Illir said, his enormous voice shrunk to a shaking whisper, “my winds are in a demon-driven panic. I would never presume to question your judgment, Lady, but it is hard to quiet them while you keep our protector, the Lord of Storms, blowing on the southern coasts.”

Benehime’s eyes flicked to the tropical sea where the Lord of Storms was still raging, just as she’d left him.

He disobeyed me, she said. I will not interrupt his punishment for something as small as this. Tell your winds the League will handle it.

“The winds see much, Lady,” Illir said, trembling. “It is hard to put them at ease when Alric and the spirits who have come to his aid are so clearly in over their heads.”

The Shepherdess’s hand shot out, grabbing the wind at its center. Illir screamed and began to thrash, but she held the wind tight, pulling him close until his breeze ruffled her white hair.

You are the Great Wind, she said slowly. Find a way to keep your subordinates in line, or I will find another wind who can. Understand?

“Yes, Lady,” Illir panted.

Good. Her grip tightened. Any other complaints?

“Yes, actually,” Illir said.

Benehime’s eyes widened. This had better be important.

“It is the most important question I’ve ever asked,” Illir said. “Several days ago, an old, old friend and one of your strongest spirits, the great bear, Gredit, vanished. I ordered my winds to look everywhere, but they found no trace of him, not even his body. You would be within your rights to kill me for this impertinence, Lady, but if my years of loyal service have ever pleased you, answer my question before you do. What happened to my friend?”

A slow smile spread across the Lady’s white face. She opened her hand, and the wind fell from her fingers, shuddering with relief.

You are very bold, Illir, she said. I like that. You are also loyal, and I like that even more. If you want to know, I will tell you. Gredit was an old spirit, far past his prime, given to fits of hysteria and insubordination. Even so, he was one of my flock, and so I tolerated his behavior. But then, in his delusions, he threatened one of my stars, my own favorite. Benehime grew very grave. This I could not forgive. I am a lenient mistress. I set very few rules. However, there is no place in my sphere for spirits who disobey. Am I making myself clear, West Wind?

“Very, my Lady,” Illir said. “I will go and calm my winds now. I apologize for wasting your time.”

Benehime nodded and went back to her sphere, sending the wind away with a flick of her finger. Don’t let it happen again.

The wind vanished, spinning back down to the world below. She watched for a moment, and then smiled when she saw him fall back down to reassure the lower winds. Illir was a smart spirit. He knew the limits of his place, unlike the bear. Still, she had not known they were friends, and she made a note to keep a closer eye on the wind. Satisfied, she went back to watching Eli crawl across the ruined city. She’d let things go very far this time, but it would be worth it. This time for sure, he would call her. He would fall crying into her arms, pleading for rescue, and then everything would be as she wished. She need only be patient and wait for him to beg.