EMILY WATSKEN
Although I couldn't see Brone, I could feel his nervous energy as he hovered above me. Beyond the line of cannoneers, I could just make out a couple dozen figures running out of the village toward us. Including—my mind struggled to rationalize—two trees.
No, you have to run away, I wanted to shout. They had no idea what was about to hit them, the brave idiots.
After several tense seconds, the runes at the base of the cannons began to glow. "Team one, fire!" Brone shouted from above me, his voice practically shaking with excitement.
I squeezed my eyes shut against the fireball I knew was coming, but nothing happened.
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The hand gripping my hair let go, and I peeked out through one half-open eye. Both mages were staring down at the cannon in confusion, while the unadorned, whose job it was to support the weapon while the Casters fired it, had his eyes scrunched closed and was leaning back from it.
I risked turning to look up at Brone, who looked like he might shoot lightning from his eyes at any moment.
"Team two, fire!"
Despite having absolutely no desire to see the village be doused in flames, I watched carefully as the next group of Alacryans activated their cannon. The runes flared, then fizzled out.
Brone turned his glare on Gideon. "All teams, fire! Fire!"
The rest of the mages activated their cannons, but after a few seconds it was clear that none of them had worked. Gideon, you mad genius! I couldn't help but grin, thinking that my mentor had somehow disabled the fire salt cannons to keep them from being used on the villagers.
No wonder he seemed so calm, I thought guiltily, realizing my anger toward him had been unfounded.
Brone must have come to the same conclusion. The Instiller drew a long silver knife from his boot and pointed to Gideon. "Put that man in chains while I figure out what he's—"
The roar of an explosion cut the Instiller off as the first weapon fired, and my heart dropped into my stomach.
I flattened my face to the ground and put my hands over my head as the shockwave slammed into me, peppering me with dust and debris. All around me men were yelling, and when I glanced up I saw a smoking crater where the first cannoneer team had been.
The weapon hadn't fired. It had exploded.
Realizing what was about to happen, I tried to scramble away from the closest cluster of soldiers, who were still staring wide-eyed and slack-jawed at the wreckage. Brone took two halting steps toward the crater, then yelped and jumped away, landing heavily on the ground and curling into a ball to protect himself.
An instant later, the second cannon detonated, engulfing the three Alacryans operating it in a white-hot fireball.
Now the rest of the soldiers were panicking in earnest, throwing down their cannons and sprinting away. Most, however, were too slow.
When the other eight tubes all exploded simultaneously, the blast was enough to send me tumbling end over end across the bare ground, stopping only when my back slammed into a cart wheel. The big, scaled mana beast attached to it turned to stare stupidly at me and let out a low, unafraid moo.
The sound of men yelling faded in and out. Several bodies were strewn across the field, but not as many as there should have been. Others, the soldiers who hadn't been a part of the firing squads, were rushing forward to check the bodies.
Brone was struggling to stand. Smoke was rising in wispy little lines from his uniform, and blood was trickling from his ear. His eyes were darting around wildly. When his gaze settled on Gideon, the Alacryan bared his teeth and began marching in that direction, shoving past an unadorned soldier.
Using the cart wheel, I pulled myself to my feet and stumbled after Brone. I tried to channel enough mana for a spell, but couldn't focus past the dull ringing in my ears. Instead, I grabbed the back of his uniform.
Brone spun and hit me in the stomach. When his hand came away, it was covered in blood.
It took way too long for me to realize that it was my blood, dripping from the silver dagger.
I pressed my hands to the growing red stain on the front of my shirt as I sank to my knees. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would, but that could have been because of the concussion I was certain I had.
Brone gave me his characteristic sneer, then resumed his march toward Gideon.
The old inventor was staring at me. He looks so dumb when he tries to raise his eyebrows, since he doesn't have any. I giggled. I couldn't help it. Everything suddenly seemed so fun.
"Oleander," Gideon said as the Alacryan approached him. "I know I asked, very specifically, that my assistant not be harmed. It was an essential piece of our agreement."
Brone stopped, the dagger pointed at Gideon's heart. "You absolute bastard," he hissed. "She's dead. And you're right behind her."
"I don't think so, Oleander." A sudden gust of wind blew up around us, making Gideon's robes flap dramatically. "I'm afraid that, based on the terms of service, our contract is now null and void, and our mutual pursuits are ended."
"By the Vritra, don't you ever shut up?" Brone shouted.
Gideon smiled serenely. "As you said, I specialize in being terrible frustrating."
Mana surged around Brone, igniting a series of runes on the side of the silver dagger. There was something about the way the burning orange light from the runes played off the storm of dust engulfing us that was almost…pretty. "I'm glad I get to be the one who cleanses Dicathen of your irritating self."
Had I been in my right mind, I would have been astounded by Gideon's ability to remain deadpan even in the face of certain death. "Does it ever bother you that your Sovereigns didn't give you any way to defend yourself, Oleander?" Gideon asked.
Without waiting for an answer, Gideon drew something from the inner pocket of his robes and pointed it at Oleander. The device released a loud bang and a puff of black smoke, and Oleander tumbled backward, a smoking hole in his chest.
Men were shouting all around us. Fire salt smoke stung my eyes. There was a sharp ringing in my ears and a wave of cold emanating out from the wound in my stomach.
Gideon walked past Oleander's body without a second glance. He kneeled down next to me and inspected my wound, looking worried. "Well, Miss Watsken. Is this the glorious end you envisioned for us?"