“Stop,” a voice bellowed.
Sienna swore out loud as they came face-to-face with another group of men. They carried staffs and wore silver armor, covered in runes…Emily gritted her teeth, remembering the first time she’d faced men in protective armor. They could be beaten, she knew, but it took time. Or she could use a larger spell…
“Emily,” Frieda said. “Watch me.”
Emily had only a second to realize what Frieda intended to do before it was too late. Her body seemed to blur as she threw herself at the Hands, her sword flashing like lightning in the bright sunlight. She moved too fast to be seen clearly, slashing out at the men before they could react. Emily gritted her teeth as she saw five men fall in less than thirty seconds, knowing that Frieda would pay a high price for her bravery. The Berserker spell was too dangerous to use for long. Emily had never dared use it since her first year at Whitehall.
A man broke free and hurled himself at Sienna. She darted to one side, yanking a virgin dagger out of nowhere and inserting it into his eye. He yelped and dropped to the ground, dead. Emily reached for her own magic as another man came at her, only to have Caleb slam a force punch into his chest. The sheer force of the impact picked the man up and blasted him into a building hard enough to leave a mark. He slumped to the ground, his legs twisted out of shape. He might never walk again.
“Now,” Sienna said.
Emily looked up, then ran forward. Frieda had killed all of her enemies, but now she twitched helplessly as the spell ran its course. Emily readied a cancellation spell as she reached Frieda, casting the spell a moment before Frieda lunged at her, too far gone to tell the difference between a friend and an enemy. Emily felt a flash of pure horror, then grunted in pain as Frieda bowled her over, landing hard on the solid pavement. Frieda drew back a fist, then stopped a moment before she slammed it into Emily’s throat…
“Emily,” Frieda said. “I…”
She sagged, nearly falling on top of Emily. Sienna helped Frieda to her feet, then picked her up and slung her over her shoulder in a fireman’s carry. Frieda looked as though she was struggling to stay awake, even though her body must be screaming for rest. Berserker drained the caster completely unless it was stopped.
“Take the armor,” Sienna ordered. “Hurry.”
Emily glanced in both directions, then hastily started to undo the first set of armor. Warding spells snapped at her fingertips, but they were already fading. It might be hard, she thought, to re-enchant the armor. But it might come in handy for something…she collected three sets of intact breastplates, then stood. Caleb had removed four sets himself. She looked down at the bodies for a moment, wondering what they’d been thinking when they’d joined the Hands, before following Sienna down the road. The noise behind them grew louder…
I can sense the entity, she thought. She didn’t want to label it with a name, even in the privacy of her own mind. And so can everyone else.
She sagged in relief as they finally reached Sorcerers Row, passing through a tangled network of wards guarded by a dozen sorcerers. Sienna slowed to talk to one of them, explaining what had happened in a hushed voice. The sorcerers didn’t look as though they believed her, which didn’t come as a complete surprise. Emily had seen the entity firsthand and part of her mind refused to believe it.
You’ve seen demons, her own thoughts reminded her. Why not a god?
“Come inside,” Sienna said.
Emily looked back towards the center of town. More smoke was rising, suggesting…what? That the Guildhall had caught fire? Or that other buildings were burning too? Or…she could still sense the presence, even at a distance. It pervaded her thoughts, an itch she couldn’t scratch, taunting her with its sheer presence. The sensation grew stronger the more she looked, drawing her back…she shook her head, pinching herself. God alone knew what would happen when they slept.
We’ll have to tune the wards to block it out, she thought. If we can…
“Emily,” Caleb hissed.
General Pollack was still out there, somewhere. Emily hoped he was safe, but she knew he’d been in the midst of the crowd. What if he was dead? Or compelled to kneel before the entity and pledge himself to its service? What if…her heart twisted in pain at the thought of more misery being inflicted on Caleb and his family. They deserved a break, didn’t they? They deserved a chance to heal from their earlier wounds…
She closed her eyes for a long moment, then turned and walked through the door.
Behind her, Caleb slammed it shut.
Chapter Twenty-Three
IT WAS BLESSEDLY QUIET INSIDE THE house.
Emily allowed herself a sigh of naked relief as she felt the entity’s presence fade from her mind. Whatever it was, the wards kept it out. Oddly, she found that reassuring. A real god would have no problems working through the wards. She sagged against the wall, trying to catch her breath. Her thoughts and impressions were hopelessly jumbled.
Karan appeared, popping out of a side door. “What happened?”
“Get some soup,” Sienna ordered. She carried Frieda into the living room and placed her on the couch. “Now!”
Emily followed her into the room and sat on the chair, suddenly feeling exhausted. Her entire body felt drained. Alarmed, she tested her power reserves as Karan returned and discovered they were untouched. Resisting the entity’s sheer presence had been enough to exhaust her. She rubbed her forehead, feeling yet another headache blooming to life. The entity hadn’t been focused on her, and yet it had had an effect…
“Caleb, test the wards,” Sienna snapped. “And then send Marian and Croce down here.”