The governor’s mansion was the largest building I’d seen in the city, and even if the barracks might end up outmatching it, I was fairly sure his home could fit hundreds of demons itself. But my perspective was limited, looking up at the building looming above spiked walls. Most would-be thieves would think twice about scaling those if it risked impaling themselves on those.
Fortunately, some demons did have natural advantages, and waiting and watching from around the corner I let out a sigh as Uvaia fluttered down before me. “What do you think?” I asked her. I could only see her so clearly in the dark, but her breathing and rustling wings were familiar sounds to me.
We’d waited for nightfall to case the place, as while many demons did have good night vision, evening limited the number out and about to spot someone flying into the governor’s yard. And as her hunting strategy demonstrated, looking up to spot danger wasn’t something nearly enough creatures tried, until they’d been swooped down upon and it was too late.
“It’s not hard to get inside by flight. But there are a lot of guards in there, I could see them through the windows,” Uvaia said earnestly. “I don’t know about this, Anthy. Even if you’re right that they’re not that well-trained, all it takes is one person to catch me and then I’m in big trouble.”
“Well, we’re not going to break in tonight. This is just reconnaissance.” That was unfortunate news, though. I’d figured with a place this large he couldn’t keep a large enough garrison to watch every inch. Paying a staff that big would quickly get expensive, and the governor had sounded like a man who’d want to pinch every obol.
“Recon-? Um, right, I guess.” Uvaia paused a moment. “When you say we, you do mean me, right?”
“I am planning to come with you,” I said, blinking. “Did I not mention that?” Thinking about it now, I might have one guess for how he could maintain a staff that large. I’d want to ask Macodes if she knew, but a house staffed by slaves could explain some other local happenings.
“…In that case I take back saying it’s easy to get inside, because even if I could carry you, I’d be way more clumsy flying around like that,” Uvaia said, letting out a nervous laugh. “Plus, um, I don’t mean this in a bad way, but do you have any experience sneaking around and stealing things?”
“The former, some.” It had been a while since I’d been involved with crime in earnest, but I couldn’t have forgotten. “It’ll be fine, Uvaia. If there’s still any thieves that haven’t been rounded up, some of them must have thought about hitting the richest man in town. And if we can’t learn from them about any back ways or hidden entrances, we can use the oreads to tunnel in underground. No need to carry me that way.”
“Right, but again, lots and lots of guards,” Uvaia said, some strain in her voice. “If we have to do this, I think I should go alone. It takes practice carrying coins or valuables so they don’t jingle. And I wouldn’t feel that safe pulling this off, either…”
“I’m not coming because I’m after valuables. Not just valuables,” I added, her doubt palpable even in the half-light. We’d need to secure funding to pay the Ebon Company, yes, but for the plans I was considering to get them away from him, leverage would be at least as important. “People with lots of money will want to keep careful track of it. I know he’s hired the Ebon Company as general-purpose guards, but does that cover everything he’s had them doing for him? He might have them working as leg-breakers at least, maybe he’s hired a few for other things. Off the books. That’s why I want to get my hands on his records.”
“Leg-breakers…” Uvaia shuddered, feathers rustling. “But if they’re off the books, wouldn’t they not be written down in his records?”
“There’s ways around that, too." I looked at her for a second, noting her discomfort. “I take it you’re not as experienced with organized violence?”
“I, no, I don’t think so.” She winced and shook her pale-haired head. “I’ve hunted before, and stolen when I had to, but I’ve never been part of an army or anything like that.”
I hesitated. That wasn’t exactly what I’d meant, but… “You’ve done well enough fighting with us so far. If you did end up being drawn into one, what would you think about that?” I’d never intended to make her part of one, but she’d come this far with us. I might as well ask.
Uvaia was quiet for a moment before letting out a breath. “It’s not what I planned on doing with my life, but if that’s what you’re going to do, then I’ll stay with you, Anthy.” She smiled softly at me, moonlight glinting in her eyes. “I don’t think I’d really make much of a soldier. But clan armies do have camp followers and things, right?”
“There’s plenty more to you than prostituting yourself, Uvaia.” I chuckled and reached out a hand, stroking her feathery wing. I still wasn’t sure if it would be best to take her along, but hearing she was willing did take a load off me.
She shivered as I touched the sleek feathers, leaning into my hand. “You say that, but I’d be way more up for having sex than trying to dodge past guards and grab the governor's money,” Uvaia said, a laugh in her voice as well.
“I’ll take care of the guards, Uvaia. With the proper distraction, we can keep them off our backs.” I pulled my hand back, a little reluctantly. “I’ll come find you tomorrow night once we’re ready. Speaking of, ready to head back to the inn?”
“Um, well…” Her cheeks darkened. “It’s a little embarrassing, but I was actually going to sleep back at camp. I’ve gotten used to roosting in a tree again, the last few days,” she mumbled, lowering her eyes.
“Whichever you prefer,” I told her, smiling but managing not to laugh. “I might touch base with you there, then. I’ve still got some more to do in the city.” The shops should be closing around this time, so it was time to follow up on another lead.
“Oh, all right!” She nodded and fluttered her wings, but spoke up as I turned to leave. “But, you know, I don’t need a tree either! Just in case you would prefer a tent, or bed…” And she dashed off before I could respond.
Blinking, I stared at where she’d been for a second before smiling to myself, heading away.
When waging a war, a basic but crucial consideration was one’s allies and enemies, and the nature of each. Aconite was set firmly in the enemy category, but even with the Obsidian clan all but destroyed, she wasn’t the only power in southern Hesperia. Archon Camas wouldn’t get involved unless threatened personally, and I was sure I couldn’t convince him Aconite posed a threat to his rule. But there was still one local clan leader on Aconite’s level, the hamadryad Zamioculas.
Walking quickly as I could, I reached the shop that was my destination just as the last patron walked out. Fertile Flowers’ proprietor was still inside, lit by candles carefully held in glass away from the wood furnishings. She was a beautiful dryad, with skin the dark brown of tree bark but smoother than any tree, and white hair that put me in mind of wool or apple blossoms, wearing a pale green gown.
She looked up at me as I stepped inside, a variety of clay pots holding flowers, bushes, and even a small tree around the shop. “I’m sorry, we’re closed for today, miss.”
“You’re Kalmia Angustifolia?” I asked, still trying to catch my breath. The arch of her pale eyebrows I took as a yes. “I need to talk to you.”
“Just Kalmia will do,” the dryad lady said, mouth tightening. “I take it you’re not here looking to start a garden.”
“I want to talk to you about Guardian Zamioculas.”
Kalmia went very still and stared at me, but my ears pricked up at the faint rustling from the plants around me, and I could swear I saw potted plants’ branches lengthening, reaching towards me. “No, I don’t think so. You should leave my shop, miss,” she said, voice low and even.
She was the one I wanted, then. Dryads and several other demons had strong bonds with plants, but only hamadryads could grow and control them with a thought. She could kill me if she had a mind to, but she was strong enough to make it to Zamioculas even if Aconite tried to stop her. There were others tied to her I’d heard tell of in the city, but none as connected as the once-known Guardian’s Gardener. “I’m not here to confront you, or threaten you,” I said, holding up a hand. “All I want is to tell you that she and her grove, your grove, are in grave danger.”
“She and her grove are no concern of mine anymore,” Kalmia said, crimson eyes flashing. “I’ve washed my hands of that warmonger and everything she’s grown. We are not on speaking terms. Please leave.”
“That’s fine. I can accept that,” I said carefully, having no intention of accepting that. “But are all the plants that grow in those lands her concern alone?” Lines creased her forehead, and I thought her glare might have softened incrementally. “Are there no demons who you knew that don’t still live there now? I’m sure they’d remember you fondly, Lady Kalmia…”
“Don’t try to manipulate me, little one,” the Gardener said, eyes hard once more. “I won’t have you coming in here and speaking of things that are no business of yours. I would have known you if you lived among us before Hellebore’s fall, but you’re a stranger to me. I don’t believe you’ve lived in either my or her woods.”
“That’s true. I haven’t.” Before King Hellebore’s death, the demon called Anthurium hadn’t even existed. “All I am is a victim of the demon who threatens them now,” I said, lowering my head to her. “A woman with no regard for life, demon or otherwise.”
She stared at me briefly in silence, but I did think that had caught her attention. “Who is this demon you’re talking about?” Kalmia asked me, crossing her arms.
“Well, Aconite.” It seemed news hadn’t reached the city yet. “Huntmistress Aconite destroyed my clan a week ago. We tried to surrender, but she took no prisoners. She set our camp on fire with no regard for the destruction it would do, and hunted us down while the flames spread through the woods.”
“That little wolf’s gone rabid,” Kalmia muttered, eyes narrowing. “And who exactly are you, child? Who are you that escaped her, then.”
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Calling me a child rankled, but I supposed for one of the oldest of dryads most demons might seem as such. “My name’s Anthurium.”
Kalmia blinked. Then she started to laugh. “She killed your clan, you say? Oh, now I see the shape of this. Yes, I’ve heard your name, and I wonder how many clans you’ve seen die, Anthurium Faustomir?”
I felt my throat close up. “No one calls me that anymore,” I managed to say, heart pounding in my chest. She shouldn’t even know to call me that, what had she heard about me?
“Oh, do they not? I spent some time with dear Bryonia before I settled down here. The stories she had to tell of you.” She smiled at me in an utterly mirthless way. “I wonder, dear, if you know I left Zamioculas because she joined this war. Why would you think I’d help someone who’s worked for years on end to prolong it?”
I felt some bit of self control snap. “You don’t know a damn thing about me,” I spat at her. Fuck the script, fuck my arguments, she was wrong, wrong, wrong. “I’ve been trying to end this war. This whole time I’ve wanted to find someone that can win, and put a stop to all this bullshit. And if Bryonia told you otherwise, then she didn’t know a thing about me either.”
“Really? Well, there is the temper that she told me of,” Kalmia said, smile widening. “And have you found someone? Someone you think can end it. Restore the land to one we don’t endlessly water with these massacres.”
“Yes. I have.” Gia could do it, I’d make sure she would. I’d learned a lot from all my failures. I’d build our strength from the ground up, I wouldn’t make the same mistakes I had before.
The hamadryad laughed, but it was softer, not so mocking, this time.“I think those might be the only true things you’ve told me since you came in here,” she mused, watching me. “No sweet words to sway me. The truth from your mouth.” She leaned over the counter towards me. “And since we’re telling the truth now, what is it you came here for, from me?”
I hissed out a heavy, ragged breath. Fine. I supposed honesty could have its day. “I wanted you to bring a message to Zamioculas. I’m going to destroy Aconite, and I want her help drawing Aconite’s forces away. Small strikes over their border, incursions enough to draw her attention. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“And in return?” Kalmia said, eyeing me.
“In return I’ll deal with our mutual enemies.” I wouldn’t say it out loud, but she should know that Archon Camas was one just as well. “And if we have an understanding now, we won’t need to go head to head later.”
She watched me for a moment longer before nodding slowly. “Very well. I won’t relish seeing Zami again after most of a decade, but I’ll have someone to watch my shop and deliver your message. Bryonia did speak very highly of your potential.” She stepped out from behind the counter, giving a tender look over her potted plants before she glanced back at me. “But while we’re talking reunions, you really should speak with her again, child. You and her may have more in common than you think.”
- - -
Later that night, back at our camp things were more under control than I’d expected. The supplies looked untouched, no one had been killed by a lurking elf priestess, and the only enemies our demons had contended with seemed to be boredom. Which could be a killer if you were bloodthirsty enough, but a day of it had been no problem, it seemed.
“Hey.” I looked up as Gia spoke. She was twirling her hair around a finger, watching me with a nervous smile. “Can we talk?”
I tried not to jump to conclusions on what that could mean. “Go ahead. I thought you’d be at the inn?”
“I was looking for you.” She looked off to one side meaningfully, and after making sure she didn’t mean we were being watched, I took her cue and we walked a short way from the camp.
“So, I was wondering,” Gia said, turning to face me. “I know you wanted to like, buy weapons, and hire people to fight with us, but… this city seems pretty nice, to me. And a lot safer than the town we were in before.” Her expression clouded. “Either of them, really. It’s too big to be attacked by bandits or robbed by, um, us.”
“You know why we had to do that,” I told her, holding in a sigh. “You even compensated the villagers, it’s not like we left them destitute.”
“I know, I know.” She winced. “But you told me I shouldn’t have, with how dangerous Hesperia is. And now I’ve been worrying I might be getting us all killed… But that’s the thing!” she said, more forcefully, eyes brightening. “If we stay here, it wouldn’t have to be so dangerous! We could be safe!”
“Stay?” That threw me for a loop, and I felt the unpleasant, unsteady feeling of realizing I’d miscalculated badly. That she was asking about this at all was not a good sign.
“It’s just, ever since I got here, it’s been one horrible thing to another,” Gia said, wincing again and tugging some strands of her hair. “First Crassula almost killed me, then I hurt you so bad I thought I might have killed you, then the town got attacked and the bandits almost killed you, and I–” She gritted her teeth. “And then seeing people’s faces when we were taking their food… and Vaeri even tried to kill me too, though that was more annoying than scary,” Gia muttered.
She took a deep breath. “I’m – I’m tired, Ann. I don’t want to have to kill more people, or worry about people I care about dying. Why can’t we just stay in the city? We could find work to do here, maybe even, you know, buy an apartment together…” She blushed a little, touching her fingertips.
“You know we can’t do that.” My words came out sharp, and Gia flinched, color drained from her face like she was bleeding out.
And the frustrating part was that she didn’t know, did she? She didn’t know what we had to do, because I’d kept it from her. But no; if she was trying to pull out after just a few skirmishes, that just showed I was right. She wasn’t ready for the truth. And she wasn’t ready to become a demon queen. “What about Vaeri’s friend? Are you going back on wanting to help him, then?”
Gia swallowed. “I… no. No, of course we still need to help him, and her. I’m just,” she sighed, “Not ready for that yet. If we’re going to go off and, I assume fight again?” She looked at me, I nodded, and her face fell. “Can’t we just… take a rest here first? Just for a few days. Maybe a week?”
I didn’t answer for a moment, considering it. A broadly safe location to recuperate could have benefits for us. I still couldn’t fight properly with my right hand, but with a few days to practice, and test what use my dominant hand was now, I wouldn’t be completely helpless in combat. That could be worth it.
Even so, it would mean leaving Vaeri’s friend to his current fate. Gia didn’t know what that would mean. But I did.
“Ann,” Gia said softly. “There’s a doctor here. I talked to her. And she said she’d let me be her apprentice, if I wanted.” There was a neediness in her eyes. “I don’t know enough about bodies to fix what I did to you. But if we stay here, I can learn. I’m going to learn. Even if we’ll have to leave, if we stay long enough for me to learn, I can get your body back how you want it to be.” Her smile looked very pained.
That… that would be big. If I could have my body restored to how it was, it would be the end of a great deal of danger and stress to me. I wouldn’t have to worry about hiding my injured arm, being betrayed by demons who learned I was near-helpless. I wouldn’t be any great warrior even properly healed, but I could defend myself. I wouldn’t need to live knowing I’d have no hope on my own if I was attacked. And letting Gia learn more control of her fleshwarping would be useful too, of course.
“All right,” I told her, and my lips twitched at the surprise and joy in her eyes. “We can stay. Not forever, but until you learn how to heal me.” Or at the very least until I found some other way to defend myself. Aconite wouldn’t wait forever.
“Ah, Ann!” Gia’s blue eyes were sparkling in the moonlight. “Thank you. I will, I promise, you won’t regret it.”
“I believe you.” I paused, remembering something she’d said. “And if you’re afraid of Crassula, and the other demons we have with us; don’t be. I don’t plan on bringing them when we go.”
“Huh?” Gia started, mouth falling open in shock. “What- we’re just going to leave them here? Why?”
There were several reasons, really. Some more practical than others. “I’m going to contract the services of the Ebon Company, a more professional fighting force. An army should be unified under a single command structure. And while they could integrate our handful of ragtag demons into their ranks, ours aren’t trained to fight in the same way. Drilling them would be a waste of time.” Though if we would be here longer than I’d planned, now… well, I could consider it.
Gia nodded slowly, forehead lined. “I guess that makes sense. And it’s not like we’re just abandoning them in the woods. But what about Sedum and Uvaia?” She paused, a hesitant smile touching her lips. “And, well. I know Crassula isn’t a great person, but she has helped us a lot. She’s kind of grown on me. I think she likes me more than Uvaia does, anyway,” she muttered.
“The problem there is that they’ve seen enough to be a threat to us. They saw you cry, they’ve seen how you don’t want to kill. They know you’re not a normal demon.” Frankly, the smart thing would be to have them killed so they couldn’t tell anyone of Gia’s weakness. But I couldn’t do that. Not to Uvaia, especially. “And they’ll be safe here,” I added, more gently now. There was still a small, sentimental part of me that had clung onto that. I didn’t much care about Crassula’s safety, but I didn’t want more friends to get killed.
It was at odds with the pragmatic part of my brain, but that was part of why I’d wanted to leave the Obsidian remnants here, too. I’d already gotten too many of the others killed. I could at least let these ones avoid that fate.
“That’s true,” Gia murmured, dropping her gaze. She let out a short laugh. “It’s selfish of me to want them to come with us, isn’t it. Even knowing they will be safer if they stay.”
“I mean, they could be useful if they did come with us.” Sedum and Crassula were decent fighters, and Uvaia had her own, ahem, skills. “But Aconite doesn’t screw around.”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it.” Gia sighed, and raised her gaze to mine with a wistful smile. “I’ll just miss them. It’s been nice, having them as friends.”
I opened my mouth, and words stuck in my throat for a moment. Gia really did want them to come with us, I could tell. If I left them here, I’d be the only one she could rely on- but if I didn’t, then it would make Gia happy. “It’s not a guarantee of safety,” I said slowly, as a new idea coalesced. “But we could bring them along, and I’ll make sure they’re kept out of the direct fighting.”
“Can you do that?” Gia asked. Surprise was written across her face, before it melted into gladness. “That would be great, if you could.”
“I’ll take care of it,” I told her, nodding. “We won’t need them to fight, anyway. No practical reason to bring some strangers we met in a tavern to fight a warlord.”
A soft giggle parted Gia’s lips. “I guess you haven’t read many of those stories.” She looked at me for a second, freckled cheeks dimpling, lips parting more.
Then a rustling came from the bushes near us, and we both jumped. A rabbit darted out of the bush and skittered off through the trees, and Gia pressed a hand to her chest, exhaling. “Uh, well! Good night!” she said, a bit too perkily, and turned and hastened away back to the tents.
I was debating whether to follow her, before I heard a cough from behind me and stiffened. Somehow I knew who it was even before I turned around. “Hello, Vaeri.”
How much had she heard? I ran back over what we both had said. Plenty I wouldn’t want her to know, but nothing truly incriminating, I didn’t think.
“Straight to Aconite. No detours.” The elf woman’s voice was hard and clipped as she stepped out of the bushes. Her eyes held a cold, suppressed anger. “Those were your words, were they not? I wonder, did you ever intend to honor our agreement, or did it merely take you less than a day to go back on it?”
I didn’t speak for a moment. Face to face with her, it was suddenly much harder to justify this. “We’ll get your friend back, Vaeri,” was the best I could do.
Her eyes flashed. “Will we? In what form? Though I suppose that’s of no concern to a demon like you, is it.” I grit my teeth, and Vaeri huffed. “I don’t expect you care about Erik or myself, really. I doubt you’d have suggested it if your Lady Hydrangea hadn’t first.”
“Whatever you may think of me, I don’t intend to leave him to Aconite now that I know about it.” Ruthlessness with a purpose was one thing, cruelty for self-satisfaction was quite another.
“You seem perfectly willing to leave him while you stay in this place.” Vaeri crossed her arms. “But even if you are content to drag your heels, I certainly will not. I will give you one more day to get your affairs in order before I set out for Aconite. Whether or not you are accompanying me.”
I felt a flash of anger and frustration. Stupid, stubborn, bullheaded… “Trying to get him alone would be suicide. I don’t care how strong you are, you can’t take on an army.”
“Then you had best be ready and come with me, shouldn’t you?” She smirked.
“You think I care about what happens to you?”
“No. I think you care about yourself.” Vaeri held my gaze. “You were very quick to bargain for my assistance for your own purposes. If you don’t wish to lose it, then talk sense into that girl, and be ready.”
Damn it. She wasn’t wrong, having a mortal priestess on our side would be a major force multiplier, and a significant aid in taking down a vampire lord. I hated to admit it, that she’d backed me into a corner with it. But keeping Vaeri would be a bigger factor in our victory than restoring my body. Or making Gia happy. “If you don’t want to lose to Aconite, then you need to give me enough time to gather arms and manpower here.”
“If you need more than a day for that, give me a time and I can allow it.” She narrowed her eyes. “But if I think you are dragging your heels, then I will leave.”
I breathed out through my teeth. “A day should suffice,” I muttered, rubbing my forehead. “I have plans for how to get what we need. I’ll need to work fast to execute them tomorrow, but I can do it.” Which meant the only problem, the only non-selfish problem, was Gia.
“You must know Hydrangea won’t be happy about this,” I told Vaeri, looking back at her. “But that’s of no concern to an elf like you, is it?”
To my mild surprise, she winced. “I’m not unsympathetic to her situation,” Vaeri murmured, looking off where Gia had walked. “If a life wasn’t at stake, I would be more than willing to let her rest and recover from her trials. But the world won’t wait for her, and neither will waiting here make her more prepared to face death and danger. All there is is to steel herself for it.”
If Vaeri cared about Gia, I could use that to keep her tied to us even if she’d rather leave. But feeling attached to her so soon was strange. “You’re speaking with a lot of authority on her for someone who met her yesterday.”
She gave me a sharp, startled look. “Perhaps she reminds me of someone. Who can say.” The elf woman turned away, before looking back at me, eyes hard. “If she is not prepared to leave, then do what you must to convince her. And if you need further incentive…”
She reached out a hand towards my shoulder, and I let out a sharp, startled scream as I felt burning pain lance through my flesh, feeling like my arm was melting. When she removed her hand, I saw no visible injury, but the hot ache under my skin made my eyes prickle with tears.
“I healed you in good faith. Now that is gone. I will restore your injury when you have done as I asked, and we leave,” Vaeri told me with a cold, hard stare.