Cousin walked through the cobbled streets of the dock town. Anyone who attacked was put into status. She would sort them out later. Her focus was on reaching Protector. She followed his energy signature to the fortress on the cliffs.
The doors were open and unguarded. The courtyard was deserted. Cousin climbed the stairs to the battlements. Protector stood looking down at the port. His robes fluttered in the wind. An aura of power pulsed around him. Cousin stopped several feet away.
A coil of sparking energy wrapped around Cousin. It tightened and writhed over her body. Then it was gone.
Protector turned to her. “You hurt me, Er’Rana.” He spoke with the force of ownership.
Cousin felt the spell seeking a hold. It too, extinguished. “My name is Cousin.”
Protector sneered. “Your name is Er’Rana. You belong -”
“No.” Cousin spoke soft. The energy around her built until she stood in an iridescent haze.
“You think to challenge me?”
“No. Destroy you.”
A typhoon of power hit Cousin. She stood under the onslaught, a calm in the middle of the storm. She let her perception shift. Trails of power fed Protector. Each trail was a fetter. Cousin saw the thousands of lives on the island that could only serve. With her mind she reached out, and ripped a chunk of them away.
Protector stumbled. He glared with black orb eyes. He drew a weapon and charged.
Cousin ripped another group of fetters from Protector, and the weapon fell from his hand. Cousin began pulling the fetters a few at a time.
Protector stumble back and began an incantation. The cadence built in intensity and demand until he flung the final words at her: “ah fe’ ‘ter cut iss li.”
“Be fettered and cut to me,” Cousin translated.
Protector stood straight. His expression full of disdain. “I saved you from the Masters. You owe me your allegiance. You owe me your life.”
Cousin read his memories as she would a book. She saw the lie and the truth in Protector’s words. Her rage grew. She ripped half the remaining fetter away in one terrible motion. Other wielders ran to aid Protector. Cousin waved a hand and they froze in place. “Face me alone coward.”
“Coward?” Protector laughed. “I taught you better than that Er’Rana. You can’t rely on taunts. Someone like me simply doesn’t respond.” Protector continued with his lecture on tactics.
Cousin thought a bar maid in Laver’s Gull had a better understanding of tactics than Protector. She listened only enough to register the words spoken. She split her focus. While she watched the preparations Protector made for his next attack, she checked on the progress of her crew, the state of Haven, and pulled all the severed fetters to herself. Letting Protector draw on the fetters left to him, she traced them to the people on the other end. She felt their helplessness. Cousin ripped more of them free.
Protector snarled and threw orbs of elemental destruction at her.
Cousin braced herself, and let the orbs hit her. She reached into the source of each and made it hers. Each impact pushed her back until all became part of her core. Then she walked forward to stand where she had been. The orbs continued and Cousin ripped one fetter with every impact. She ripped until only a few remained. Then she took them all at once.
Protector went down on one knee. “You are more than I ever dreamed. You will help me destroy the Masters. I will rule the Al’Ri. I will rule the world.”
“No.”
Protector smiled, and struggled to his feet. “Bring them!”
Guards pulled Kor, Bry, and Ghost out onto the battlements. Each was bound with spell and iron. Each was wounded, clotted blood and spectacular bruising colored their faces. Each struggled and cursed their captors.
“You will,” Protector said, pointing, “or I will consume them.”
“How do I know you haven’t already?”
“Look for yourself. I won’t stop you. Try anything, and I will make sure they live a long time.”
“Don’t you do it, missy,” Kor said. “Better us than you.”
“Fuck ‘em,” Bry said, and was hit in the mouth with the hilt of a dagger.
“Aye,” Ghost said, his voice low.
Cousin was in front of them. No one saw her move. The guards were flung down to the courtyard. She looked into the eyes of each. She turned to Protector. “Free them.”
“Bind your will to me.”
“Free them, and I won’t unmake you.”
“Don’t tell me you believe that Des’Tras nonsense the Masters are spouting. Er’Rana, you can’t be so foolish.”
“Last chance.”
“Kill them now!”
Arch wielders ignited the spells on Kor, Bry and Ghost. Protector flung himself forward in an effort to put his hands on Cousin. The spells back fired against the castors. Cousin removed the physical bindings and locked eyes with Ghost. In an instant Cousin and Ghost exchanged an idea. Then only Cousin and Protector remained, his grip on her Sor-von protected arm.
The Sor-van sang and Protector lost his hand. He looked at the bleeding stump with a blank expression. Black orb eyes faded to pale gray on fields of white. He blinked. “But.”
“No buts. Won’t help.”
Protector looked at Cousin as if he had never seen her. “They said that. As if it meant something important. They all said you . . .” His face became contorted with rage. His hand re-grew. “I am not so easily defeated.”
“Yes, you are. The hard part is keeping you alive long enough to suffer for what you did to Gabb, and the rest of my family.”
“I am your only family! I raised you. Taught you. Protected you from the Masters. I am your father, your mother, your brother and sister. I am your lover. You are mine!”
“I remember.”
“Then?”
“I remember my mother’s face. The terror in her wide eyes when you took me from her. I remember everything. I know you inner most secrets. I know.”
Protector flexed his new fingers. “None of this would matter if that first fetter had worked.” He started another incantation under his breath.
“The first one on Y’Ahno. Curtis Lee.”
Protector added hand gestures to his building spell. He drew runes in the air leaving glowing lines that faded slowly.
Cousin smiled a Death Smile. She opened her perception. They were alone. That was all she needed. She looked into Protector’s Depth. His power was awesome, even after it was diminished by the lose of the fetters. Cousin let herself be drawn into him.
The spell climaxed and its force was shot at Cousin.
Cousin flowed into the Protector through the binding spell. She glided through his Depth to his core. Gripping it, she forced him into the Ether with her, and let go. She let him float away.
The all and nothing of the Ether crashed into Protector. His mind ceased. His spirit froze. His power shriveled. The Ether extinguished him.
Cousin watched while Protector shrunk under the enormity of the Ether. She floated near until he was no more. The presence of the Ancient Gods enveloped her. Their welcome called to her. She felt herself responding. Then Ghost was gliding in her mind, swimming through the shadows of her eyes.
Cousin came into herself. She was on the dock. Her family around her. Ghost supported her head in his lap, their eyes locked. Cousin felt Ghost leave her and return to himself.
Ghost blinked and nodded.
Kraken helped Cousin to her feet. She turned and helped Ghost. Cousin went through the crew one by one. She wasn’t happy until she touch each of them, satisfying herself they were all there.
“Get off, missy,” Kor said as he batted her away. “I ain’t dead.”
“No one can kill someone as stubborn as you,” Bry said. His wide smile brought fresh blood to his busted lips.
“Enough jawing,” Gabb said, “listen up.”
Everyone spread out in order to see Kraken.
Kraken forced his eyes from Cousin to the silent town. “We got a choice men. Do we free the wielders here, or slaughter them? Some are helpless. Some are hiding. The Protector is no more. What do we do with his slaves?”
No one spoke for a time. Each man took time to consider the questions.
Kor stepped forward. “I would put it to a vote, begging the Captain’s pardon. I see no choice. I believe slaves should be freed, always. That’s just me.”
“A vote,” Harper said. He rubbed the brand on his check.
Kraken looked at his crew. He could see clearly that none would kill. They also wouldn’t deny vengeance to another. “Begging the Captain’s pardon?” Kraken snorted. “Don’t get use to it. My ship is not a democracy.”
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