Saturday, July 23, 4 S.E.

  Kairi surged forward when the Dawnguard reached for Sonya, her better senses thrown aside in favor of protective instinct and selfish desire: a connection to her brother. Her shortswords flashed, her [Nightreaper Core] revved to dark life, and her [Slayer Aura] exploded in full force, momentarily staggering the two Haelfenn with sheer terror. Her blades sang as she cut the air, and hamstrung both of them—slamming her foot into the face of the closest with a crack of impact, and slamming the hilt of her off-hand blade into the helmet of the second to send them both crashing to the ground, unconscious.

  The Matthersons stared at her in shock when she looked at them.

  “What?” she asked idly.

  “...your family must be crazy,” John said while gawking at her.

  “Yeah, it is,” Kairi agreed nonchalantly, and turned toward the approaching members of the Dawnguard, who had slowed upon seeing her dispatch two of their number with ease, hesitating as they assessed. “But they’re all weak compared to me.”

  “Even Ace?” John half-asked, half-challenged.

  Kairi glanced back and laughed, keeping her awareness on the Haelfenn.

  “My big brother is a dweeb compared to me,” she said with a grin.

  It felt good, in a strange way, to have a clear purpose in what she was doing. No assassination, no covert knife-sticking, no torturing people for information—just a Terran family in need of help. It reminded her of the first days of the Incursion, when she’d been reliant on her parents and grandparents for safety. She’d hated herself then. Now, she could be the powerful one. She could be the protector.

  It stirred something within her she could almost call pride.

  She spun a moment later when the sound of clanking armor drew closer, and she flipped her left blade into a reverse grip, crouching as she prepared for combat again. Behind her, the Vanguards had advanced, and she could feel their Skills building as her [Nightreaper Core] reached maximum acceleration within her dantian.

  At Elite rank, Kairi was more than a match for a handful of second-tier Adepts. They had surprised her with Contenders during the night she’d lost Ace—they wouldn’t surprise her again.

  “Non-lethal!” she called to the Vanguards as she tensed. “We don’t want to make things worse.”

  A groan rippled through the Nomad frontliners, but no objections, and Kairi smiled grimly. When push came to shove, they listened.

  A second before Kairi would have launched her blitz, a presence fell over her in a choking cloak—at the same time as the door to the estate all but blew off its hinges, and every head turned toward the entrance. Power rolled across the area in a wave of undiluted might, and Kairi felt her heart seize in her chest as some unknown force strangled it in a vise.

  The Dawnguard froze, the Vanguards froze, the Royal Guard froze, and even the Prince—a man that hadn’t even bothered to look back at the commotion—seemed to bow under the pressure.

  Her eyes darted to the villa, and she very nearly dropped her swords in shock.

  A beautiful Elven woman who looked like a living rendition of Athena herself stood framed in the doorway, her arms at her sides in fists, a translucent red shawl draped between them, and her body adorned in black lingerie of all things. The incredulity Kairi felt was only matched by a sense of overwhelming dread.

  Despite the skin bare for the world to see, a complete lack of a visible weapon, and lingerie best suited for a boudoir photoshoot, Kairi knew, instinctively, that she was witnessing the arrival of an Apex Predator that she could not defeat. A thrill of uncertainty mixed with undisguised awe flooded her, and she wondered how insanely powerful someone had to be to project that level of presence while looking like a high-market pinup model.

  The silver-haired Haelfar descended the stairs leading to the Estate doors as Kairi watched, and then raised her hand—unleashing a sudden downsurge of pressure that smashed the Dawnguard, the Royal Guard, and even Kairi’s Vanguards to their hands and knees. Kairi herself was barely able to remain on one knee, let alone stand, and she felt her fourth-Temper body screaming under the strain.

  What in the fuck is going on?!

  +I could ask you the same, girl. Why is the Reaper’s Shadow at my home?+

  Kairi started at the sound of an elegant, coldly dangerous voice in her head and craned her straining neck, seeking the source, until her eyes locked onto the imperious Elf with her right hand still extended, violet energy blistering around her palm in a corona of power.

  Are you in my fucking head?

  +Quick on the uptake, I see,+ the majestic woman replied coolly, her voice bearing all the sharpness of a naked blade. +I do not sense hostile intent from you or your little bodyguards, which means you aren’t here to cause mischief. Curious.+

  The Haelfar’s eyes drifted away from Kairi to the family that had guided her, who Kairi belatedly noticed were standing entirely at ease, and even looking smug—though John’s eyes were covered by Sonya’s hands as the younger girl blushed furiously.

  +Well, now! This is a treat,+ the voice said glibly. +You came looking for your brother, did you? How laudable.+

  How do you know that? Kairi demanded.

  +You and Leonidas share many things, child. A hilarious lack of mind shielding is apparently among them.+

  I have mind shiel—

  +You have a veil, not a shield. To me, it is as easy to part as silk. Now, be a good girl and dismiss those swords of yours.+

  Kairi glared at that, but couldn’t refute her words, no matter how mocking they were.

  What about the Dawnguard? If they attack when I—

  +I will deal with these errant troublemakers, girl. Do not fret. Now, do as you are told. I am in no mood for petulance.+

  Kairi grit her teeth at the commanding tone and silently willed her weapons to dissipate, releasing them into the aether of her [Spatial Storage Ring] as she obeyed the demand. No matter her pride, her power, or will, she was a Survivor before all else—one who knew when to recognize futility.

  Fighting this woman, this monster—no matter what her pride demanded—was futility made manifest.

  +When I permit you to rise, try not to do anything bone-headed. Your brother has a penchant for frustrating displays of impassioned impulse, and I would rather not hurt his favorite sibling.+

  I’m his only sibling!

  +Same thing,+ the woman responded haughtily.

  Well, she wasn’t wrong.

  A moment later, the force oppressing Kairi vanished with an abruptness that made her gasp, and she reached up instinctively to her heart, feeling it thunder with panic within her breast. Her eyes darted to the Vanguards, and she saw that they, too, were able to move again.

  Immediately, she hissed at them.

  “Desummon your weapons! Now!”

  The Nomads looked confused for a moment, but after glancing at her empty hands, they complied with her example, dismissing their weapons back to their storage and standing on trembling limbs. Kairi pushed herself up in tandem, feeling her muscles spasming as they tried to adjust to the sudden lack of force they’d been resisting. The sheer magnitude of the pressure she could still feel baffled her, and she looked around to see the scantily-attired woman approaching the gaggle of still-bowed Royal Guard.

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  The golden-armored warriors didn’t even appear to be fighting.

  After a moment, Kairi realized they were trembling. They were terrified.

  Her eyes moved to the Matthersons, and she saw the same look of relief on their faces, which made her decision for her. She moved over to join them quickly, realizing that being in their proximity was the safest place.

  “Is that who I think it is?” she asked when she arrived with a nod to Elise.

  “The Duchess of Twilight,” Elise confirmed with a smile, her cheeks faintly flushed. “She, ah, enjoys her proclivities, you see.”

  “Proclivities?” Kairi asked skeptically, and then her eyes widened as the lingerie clicked in her head. “Wait, she and my brother aren’t—”

  “Oh! Heavens, no,” Elise said hurriedly. “Her Grace has strict rules about fraternization. Achilles is no more involved with her than he would be with you, dear. Their relationship is strictly teacher-student, with none of the funny business.”

  “...and is this a normal look for her?” Kairi asked after a moment of relieved silence.

  “Not in public, no,” Elise said with a nervous chuckle. “I think the commotion roused her from an, ah, indulgence. We’re probably lucky she wore anything at all.”

  “What about Braedon?” Kairi asked, not wanting to use the Prince’s title.

  “Oh, I think His Highness is about to be very sorry that he—”

  Elise’s words cut off as a smack echoed through the air, and Kairi turned to see Braedon slammed backward onto his armored ass, face bloodied and red where Ceruviel’s bare palm had struck him. Kairi’s eyebrows rose to her auburn bangs, and she looked back at Elise.

  “Okay. Yeah,” she said decisively. “This woman is nuts.”

  Elise laughed nervously, glancing around at the tableau of frozen Haelfenn.

  “I fear you’ve arrived at a particularly tense moment, dear. What with Achilles going off with Aylar, I daresay that the Prince may very well be on the warpath soon—it’s best you don’t make your relationship known.”

  “That tracks,” Kairi said with a small nod, and eyed the commotion.

  What the hell did my bonehead brother get himself into?

  Before she could dwell on it further, she saw as much as felt the immense power that the Duchess was wielding evaporate into nothingness, and the elven warrior herself idly flicked her wrist in dismissal toward the slapped-senseless Prince. Braedon shoved himself to his feet in response as his Royal Guard and Dawnguard staggered up around him and spun on his heel with a snarl, the left side of his face reddened and bruised where he’d been struck, while blood leaked from his nose.

  Patrick hurriedly ushered them all aside in response, and Kairi went willingly as she and the other Nomads were guided out of the Prince’s way. Braedon himself stormed past her with a look of pure hatred moments later, eyeing her like she were a mangy dog, and marching toward the entry to the laneway like a thunderhead. The Dawnguard collected the two she’d pummeled in the course of their departure in kind, fixing her and the Matthersons with hard looks that seemed—after what had happened—hollow to Kairi.

  That might be an issue later, she thought grimly.

  Only when the last of the Haelfenn force was a small distance away did the Matthersons truly relax, and John grinned ear to ear, running off toward the Duchess, who was—blessedly—already adorned in a thin moonsilver robe she was tying around her waist, courtesy of a Butler with the most impressive mustache Kairi had ever seen.

  “Mentor!” John shouted excitedly. “That was awesome!”

  The towering Haelfar woman met the boy’s enthusiasm with a genuinely amused smile that surprised Kairi, then folded her arms under her impressive chest and arched a silver eyebrow. “Yes, I know. I take it you are looking forward to wielding the same power, one day.”

  “Of course!” John exclaimed. “That was insane! You just extended your hand like Darth Vader and BOOM, they hit the ground like crumpled tin!”

  “Indeed,” Ceruviel said with a glint of fondness in her eye. “So I take it you are extra ready for your studies, then.”

  John froze at her words, and Kairi could have sworn she saw his soul leave his body.

  “...yes, Mentor,” the boy said resignedly.

  “Come along, dear,” Elise said softly, and Kairi nodded as the woman led the way toward her son and the Duchess, pulling the Vanguards in tow with sheer motherly force of will.

  “Excellent,” Ceruviel said with all the mercy of a hurricane as their party closed the distance. “I will entrust Sonya to see you to your books, then, while I speak to your parents and our guests.”

  John nodded glumly, smiled at Sonya when she took his hand, and dragged his feet as he glanced back at Kairi with a brave up-nod. The boy looked like he was marching to a funeral, and she couldn’t help but smile faintly. It was so normal, despite all the madness of the world. An interaction that seemed, even if for just a moment, grounded in something less than the waking nightmare they lived in.

  The relief died, however, when the Duchess’ gaze returned to her, and she felt the intensity of the woman’s focus, all the way down to her marrow.

  How insanely strong was she?

  “I see you’ve brought me quite the curious visitor, Pat, Elise,” Ceruviel said without ire, her hands shifting to brace themselves at a parade rest that somehow did nothing to diminish her beauty, but killed any idea of her being a sexual deviant. She transitioned from terrifying pervert to graceful warrior-goddess so fast it gave Kairi whiplash.

  “This young lady says she is Leonidas’ sister, your grace,” Elise said with a formal curtsy, as Patrick saluted in turn. “We weren’t sure ourselves, but her eyes, and her stories—”

  “No need to fret, Elise. She is what she says,” Ceruviel said kindly, while her lavender gaze roved over Kairi and her people like colored steel. “Though she is more than that, as well. The Guard knows her in Dawnhaven as the Reaper’s Shadow, in fact. This young lady happens to be one of the strongest Terrans on this continent, unless I miss my guess—which I rarely do.”

  Pat and Elise looked back at Kairi with wide eyes at Ceruviel’s words, and the Duchess smiled thinly, while Kairi simply stared back in silence.

  “Please prepare rooms for Miss Paendrag and her people, Jefferies,” she said to the tall, burly Butler lingering nearby. “I daresay we have much to discuss.”

  The man bowed at her words promptly and, after pausing only to do a quick headcount, turned smartly on his heel and marched boldly through the blasted-off doors, which soldiers in moonsilver armor were already hurrying to collect from the expansive lawn.

  Behind her, Kairi heard Larissa shift forward.

  “Uh, Reap? We’re supposed to be gone by sundown, what are we—”

  “You may leave after Leonidas returns, Larissa McPhail,” Ceruviel interjected with imperious certainty, her voice cutting through the air like a blade and freezing Larissa in place. “As for your little Quest, I fear you’ve reached a dead end, Terrans. The Cataclysm is not in Dawnhaven, not any longer.”

  Kairi’s heart skipped a beat at the words, and she numbly motioned the Vanguards to stand down, though by that point it may as well have been for show. None of them wanted to fight this monster of a woman, and Kairi knew it.

  “I suppose asking how you know about our Quest is pointless, uh, Your Grace,” Kairi said carefully instead, using what she remembered as the right address.

  “Quite,” Ceruviel replied with a glimmer of approval in her terrifying eyes, the lavender irises flickering faintly with sparks of violet lightning. “But, fret not, my dear. Your brother will soon return, and I am sure he will be delighted to see you.”

  “We weren’t really intending on staying that long,” Kairi said half-heartedly.

  “And yet,” Ceruviel said, “I insist that you do.”

  Her eyes moved past Kairi, toward the Vanguards.

  “Will that be a problem, Nomads?”

  Kairi didn’t have to look behind her to know her people were shaking their heads emphatically, and in turn, she swallowed her pride and bowed her head, once, in acceptance. It was one thing to be proud; it was another to be suicidal, and if her brother trusted the maniac of a Duchess, Kairi would at least hear her out before attempting an escape.

  “Excellent,” Ceruviel demurred, as if she hadn’t just flattened a full platoon of Second and Third-tier cultivators in her negligee. “Shall we have breakfast? I arranged a delightful feast for the mid-morning meal, though my efforts to secure an appetite were rather annoyingly interrupted.”

  That caused a round of sputters from behind her, and Kairi heard more than just the men muttering ‘worth it’ as if thinking of something very stupid. She wanted to facepalm, but held back in favor of simply stepping forward toward the Duchess’ expectant gaze and stopping in front of her.

  “Good,” Ceruviel said in approval again, looking down at Kairi with all the self-assurance of a deity. “You are quick on the uptake, dear. That will keep you alive—and for the record, it is not negligee; that has more gossamer.”

  Kairi’s lips thinned at the correction, and she hated the fact she blushed.

  What the hell is wrong with me?

  Ceruviel said nothing, but the twinkle in her eye told Kairi she’d heard her thoughts just fine before the Duchess broke her gaze and turned, striding with her muscular legs on display toward the doors.

  “Come along, Terrans,” she called over her shoulder. “If you behave, there may be more treats in store. I still need an appetite.”

  Kairi almost stumbled when several of the Vanguards hurried after the statuesque madwoman, and looked at Larissa with an expression of sheer disbelief when she raced to join them.

  “What?” the woman said shamelessly. “Did you see her ass?”

  Kairi rolled her eyes heavenward, cursed the impetuousness of lesser minds, squared her shoulders, and marched in after them with her hands curled into fists.

  I have no idea what bullshit you’ve gotten me into, Ace, she thought with a hint of traitorous desperation, but you better get back here real fucking soon.

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