Light Dragons 03 - Sparks Fly

first tree, desperately trying to think of a spell that would disable Gareth so I could beat the crap out of him.
    “You can run, but you can’t hide from me, you coward,” Gareth shouted as he followed me into the woods.
    “Pot, kettle, black,” I yelled back. In the distance, I heard Baltic calling for me again. I hesitated for a second, wanting to reassure him, but not wishing to take him away from containing Thala.
    “I will blow your brains out, and while you lie writhing on the ground, I’ll tell you exactly what I think of you,” Gareth spat out as he leaped out at me, raising the gun.
    “Oh please, like anyone cares what you think.” Before Gareth could pull the trigger, I took him by surprise by running toward rather than away from him. I swung the morning star as I did so. Gareth squawked and ducked, leaping to the side. I dashed around a huge ash tree, saying as I did, “Sky below and earth above, sinners all repent, tree of butter and sea of dove, be thee now absent.”
    There was a pregnant silence that lasted for the count of four, and then ... nothing. “Be thee now absent? Really, brain, that’s what you came up with?” I stood up and peered around the tree, braced to find Gareth and his gun, but rather than a flesh and blood man, a life-sized statue of one stood in the classic shooter’s pose, one arm outstretched as he was evidently about to fire again.
    I put my finger out and touched the gun. It came away slightly damp. I looked at the surprised bird that sat on top of the statue, showing it my finger. “It’s butter.”
    The bird, a dove, blinked at me, and ruffled its tail feathers.
    I sighed. “When I said tree of butter and sea of dove, I was actually referring to colors, not actual ... oh, never mind.” I considered my former husband for a moment, then nodded. “Fitting justice, I think, Gareth. I hope it’s a really, really hot day today. If I’m feeling benevolent later, I’ll send someone out to scrape up what’s left of you.”
    The dove flew off as I turned and marched out to where the battle was in full force. “One down, one to go. And there she is.”
    I smiled as I emerged from the trees with my morning star in hand. Ruth, who had been hiding behind a large boulder, spun around when I called her name.
    “What are you doing there? Why aren’t you dead? You’re supposed to be dead!” She stomped her foot. “Where’s Gareth? What have you done to him? Dammit, he was supposed to take care of you!”
    Behind me, a couple of men ran toward us.
    “Gareth is a bit busy melting right now,” I told her with a satisfied smile. “And I think, I really think I’ve just about had enough of you.”
    “Are you insane as well as stupid?” She tossed her head. “I’m the daughter of Antonia von Endres. I’m a necromancer of great repute. You’re not even dirt beneath my feet. You’re below dirt. You’re subdirt! I loathed you when we first found you, and I’ve loathed you every minute since. Gareth was always too soft where you were concerned, but I’m not soft, Sullivan.” Her face was red and twisted with hate as she swept a hand toward a wild patch of tall grass and broken headstones. “And now you’re going to see just how insignificant you really are. I will raise the dead, and they will rend the flesh from your bones, which I will grind into dust, and sprinkle on my doorstep so that I can walk over your remains every single day!”
    “Seriously? Rend my flesh? You don’t think that’s a little over the top?”
    She screamed and turned to run for the tiny graveyard. I looked over at the two men who approached. “Are you the watch?”
    They paused. “Yes.” The nearest one narrowed his eyes at me. “And you are ... ?”
    “That’s really not important right now. But you should know that the woman over there, the one waving her arms around in the graveyard, is a necromancer, and she’s about to raise some liches so she can kill Dr. Kostich, whom, incidentally, she just admitted she has bound and gagged and hidden away in some woods.”
    The two men looked at each other, then at Ruth.
    “Dr. Kostich told us we must protect the sepulcher. Is that fighting I hear?”
    “Yes, a wacked-out necromancer-sister to that woman, by the way-is trying to get into it.” I smiled. “I used to be Dr. Kostich’s apprentice, you know, and I’m positive he’ll be very pissed if you let Ruth get away. If I were you, I’d take care of her first, then go