Rohan was their target right now. She could see why he wanted her help. But do I really need him? “They’re mostly ignoring me,” she pointed out.
“Ostap won’t forget your insults so easily. Berold hates women. And Ives will do whatever he must to get ahead.” He slowly twisted a skull ring on his finger. “And you and I both know that as soon as I’m gone, you’ll be the one they go after next.”
23
Tobias
Faint moonlight shone through oak leaves as Tobias plodded through the woods behind his coven, shoes and trousers soaked by the icy Atlantic. He closed his eyes, warming his body with Emerazel’s flames. They’d spent hours hurling fireballs in the shallow ocean waves, and the aura had called forth a few shimmering nippexies. Under the cloak of invisibility, the water had seemed the safest place for fire magic, and Tobias had wandered off on his own to a secluded part of the rocky beach, reveling in the fire that rushed through his hands.
Now as they approached Dogtown, they walked in silence, listening only to the rustling of leaves. Alan took a drag off a hand-rolled cigarette, his arm looped through Celia’s.
“Do you really trust the werewolves to fight with us?” Celia turned to Tobias. “What did she tell you about the hell thing? You never told us.”
Tobias sighed. “The good news is that there might be a way out. I think. I’m only committed if I sign a contract when I turn eighteen in a few days. The bad news is that the only way out of the contract is to beat a powerful hellhound.”
“In single combat?” asked Thomas.
Tobias shook his head. “More like the hellhound will hunt me to the ends of the earth until I die.”
“I think we need to work on your plan,” said Alan.
Gods below. How had he gotten himself into this mess? “Oswald, do you remember when we used to actually have fun, and drink ale on the beach all night? Do you think that will ever happen again?”
“Who knows?” Oswald scanned the shrubs, absentmindedly tracing his fingers over the scars on his abdomen. “I don’t think we’re done training yet. I’m taking us the crooked way home. We must keep working.”
“Tonight?” asked Celia. “Why not in the morning?”
He stared at her. “Because the Throcknell army doesn’t care about our slumber, and they’ll come usward at any time. They’ll hack you in twain, sleep or none. You must learn to defend yourself with proper attack spells. I bought us some pikes from Dogtown’s forge.”
“Let me guess,” said Thomas. “They’re plated with copper, Borgerith’s metal. I’ve got those metals down.”
“Thomas knows more of our gods than you do, Tobias,” said Oswald.
Emerazel’s fire blazed through Tobias’s veins, red hot—a sharp burn of pleasure. I destroyed Rome and London, she whispered to him. His head rolled back, and he inhaled a faint scent of sulfur. “Funny. I’ve grown quite close to one of the gods recently.”
For once, Oswald had no reply, and they trudged on through the thick undergrowth. He didn’t feel like arguing with Oswald, but he didn’t much feel like training out here. There was a feeling of menace in the woods around them tonight, as though the trees watched them.
“You know when Estelle mentioned ogres…” Celia ventured. “Was she joking?”
“I don’t think she jokes,” said Tobias. “But I always thought ogres were a legend.”
“She mentioned woodwose, too,” said Thomas. “Wild men of the forest. Hairy bastards. I’m gonna guess they’ve got something to do with Druloch.”
“Estelle’s out patrolling tonight,” said Celia. “And honestly, she might be the creepiest thing out here.”
“Ogres can’t be real,” said Alan. “I know we’ve encountered a lot of weird shit, but ogres sound ridiculous. Or maybe that’s just the spliff Cadonia gave me.”
Oswald cut him a dirty look.
Alan held up a hand. “I thought we were done training. Not that I’m complaining. Normally about now I’m deep into my tenth nightmare about being shot to death by burning arrows. Fighting in the woods sounds slightly more fun.”
Celia ran a finger along her throat. “My nightmares are usually about having my head cut off.”
“You lot are cheerful company,” said Thomas.
Alan glanced around the thick shrubs. “Something feels nightmarish out here, though. I’m getting bad vibes from the trees.” He shivered. “There was a time when that would’ve been a really weird sentence.”
“Still weird,” said Celia.
“We’re here,” said Oswald as they approached a clearing of ash trees. Moonlight shone on a collection of pikes that rested against a trunk, and Oswald grabbed one.
Tobias reached for another. “Shall we show them how it’s done?”
Oswald shook his head. “Not looking for a brawl with a fire demon. Anyone else? Thomas, I’ve seen you land a punch.”
Thomas stepped forward. “As it happens, I’ve trained a bit with a staff.”