Charles had a gun out, and he moved like military dudes did in movies.
Fellisse reached me first. He pushed me behind him and hissed something at the Koa Esher, then Charles took up position next to Fellisse, and I was shielded behind them both.
Protect them, protect them, protect them, I said to the presence.
Nothing to protect them from, it said, sounding bored, like a commuter waiting for a train that was always late. The icy wind wouldn’t let up, but it was changing direction, and very soon, green leaves tore off the berry branches and circled around us in a maelstrom of foliage.
Something from behind me caught my attention, and I saw Kinnek sprinting toward us. “What is—” he began, then he went silent when he saw the Koa Esher. The next thing he said started out in Lugarra, I could tell that much, but then something about the cadence of the words and how the vowels and consonants were strung together changed. Kinnek’s fury was still there, even if I had no clue what he was saying.
The wind picked up, and it got louder. I put my hands over my ears to dampen the howling.
“What fresh fuckery is this?” Vergis appeared on my left. He pinched me in the arm.
“Ow!”
“Stop this fucking nonsense. It’s not tornado season yet.”
“Did I…”
Did you make the wind? I asked the presence.
More you than me, Rory. Kennings of fear are never good for control.
Make it stop, I told it. I felt it shrug, and the storm died down.
Which was when Inkiri and Lissir reached us. Nokim was also there, but I hadn’t seen him arrive. He was covering our rear, making sure there was no ambush about to happen. Even the thought made me reach out to the presence to check, but then Inkiri got to me and pulled me close.
“Rory, you’re well!” He nearly made me spill the contents of my basket when he locked me in the comfort of his embrace.
Are there others here? I asked the presence. I felt it look.
No. This one came in through an opening in the veil to the north and then walked. He must’ve avoided the perimeter wards.
Inkiri had taken firm hold of my wrist, so I patted his hand. He was calm, focused, and tense, which was worrisome all on its own.
“He’s alone,” I said out loud. “Came in through the veil from the north.”
I didn’t know if anyone cared, but Inkiri relaxed marginally at the news that the Koa Esher was alone, not that he was letting go of me.
I peeked through the gaps in the wall of bodies in front of me. The Koa Esher was speaking. I didn’t understand a single word of it, but I could tell it wasn’t Lugarra. It sounded…clickier, rougher.
“What’s he saying?”
Inkiri growled. “He begs not to be killed. He wishes to talk. He says he has turned away from the Koa Esher and offers all he knows and his magic if we protect him from their retaliation.”
“He’s full of shit,” Vergis said.
“Does he have sacrifices on him?” Lissir asked.
Kinnek barked something out in the Koa Esher tongue, then said, “I’ll search him. Shoot him if he does anything.” Kinnek sounded strained, like his heart was going a million beats a minute.
Charles cocked his gun. Kinnek walked toward the Koa Esher, who was cowering now. He inclined his head, looking up at Kinnek, who barked out something that made him look away and to the ground.
Next to me, Vergis had pulled a knife at some point—his magic knife. The gleaming tip caught the light.
Kinnek searched the Koa Esher none too gently before kicking the intruder’s legs out from under him. It brought the Koa Esher to his knees in the grass, trembling. He was sweating too.
He said something, the words muffled by fear, and then he glanced up, his blue eyes meeting mine.
