Light Dragons 03 - Sparks Fly
he said, his expression one of excited satisfaction. Nico emerged behind him, his arms filled with cases of beer.
“Keep him inside the tower,” I told Nico as they passed. “The negrets are coming in through the murder holes.”
“They won’t get past Holland and me,” he promised. I watched them go into the tower before running across the bailey to the opposite set of stairs that led to the curtain walk.
As a rule, I dislike harming any living being, but negrets were a dangerous cross between a demon and a savage animal, and although they had a human appearance and wore clothing, one look at Savian’s still-bleeding wounds reminded me that their culture revolved around killing whatever living things crossed their path.
But that thought brought up an interesting question.
“How do you think-oh, there, on the left, that group is starting to build a pyramid-how do you think the negrets knew to come here?” I asked, handing Savian another bottle as I watched a small pile of metal negrets slide down the wall to the rocky ground.
“Someone called them up, no doubt. Probably that redheaded she-devil.”
“Thala?” Maura asked, looking thoughtful.
Horror crawled up my skin. “She’s not here, is she? I thought she was in Nepal.”
“I don’t know where she is.”
“Whew.” I wondered if she’d made her escape and slipped back to Spain without our knowing it, but a moment’s consideration had me shaking my head. “She can’t be here. If she was, she would have come stomping out and made all sorts of dramatic declarations and such. Not to mention probably tried to kill me.”
“I just wish she were here; there’re a few matters I’d like to settle with her,” Savian answered with a dark note in his voice.
“She hasn’t been here for a few weeks,” Maura said, prepping another bottle. “I heard a rumor she was going north toward Russia, but I am not at all privy to her plans.”
“Really ... That’s interesting.” I filed away that fact for future consideration. “I wonder if Gareth called her. That rat, he probably did. I bet he told her we were here, and she did something to arrange for the negrets to attack.”
“Necromancer,” Savian said, grunting as he heaved another bomb out of the murder hole.
Maura looked vaguely startled. “What about them?”
“Necromancers can call negrets. Amongst other things, they are eaters of the dead; thus, they answer the call of anyone in the Akashic League.”
“Oh. True,” Maura said. “Makes sense, then.”
“Ruth,” I hissed to myself, wishing for a moment that I really had roasted her when I had the opportunity. “She’s a necromancer, too. Not as powerful as Thala, but I bet we have her to thank for this.”
“Probably called them up before she ran off with your ex,” Savian agreed, snarling under his breath as a fresh wave of negrets collected beneath us.
“Ruth is a necromancer, too?” Maura asked, disbelief written on her face. “Why did she never mention that?”
“No clue, but I get the feeling she doesn’t use her skills very often. Not that I remember much about our time together.” I stopped myself from adding any more. I had a few choice things I’d like to say to Ruth, and kept myself occupied with them until we ran out of ammunition.
“What now?” I asked as Savian dropped the last bomb.
“Let’s hope Brom has more made.”
We followed Savian down the stairs into the inner bailey, but there I let Maura and him head for the tower. I went in the other direction, calling after them, “I’m going to check on Baltic; then I’ll help you with the fire bombs.”
“Sounds goo-holy shit!”
I spun around at his exclamation. Flames licked out of one of the windows at the bottom of the tower, scorching the stone black.
“Brom!” I screamed, and ran for the tower door. I didn’t make it into the tower-just as I approached it, I saw a familiar green tail lashing the air before disappearing around the side of the tower, and I raced after it.
Nico was covered with negrets, his dragon form more red than green as the little monsters tried to shred the flesh from his bones.
Holland lay unconscious or dead-I didn’t know which-and was being dragged through the bloody dirt by six negrets, their faces covered in blood as they took periodic bites from his body.
“Unlock me so I can fight them!” Maura demanded as she shifted into dragon form.
“Can’t! Lost the key somewhere,” Savian answered
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