Earth's Requiem(101)

“Get on. We can talk about this later.”

Aislinn smiled inwardly. She’d won. Or had she? What if Dewi tried to dump her off as soon as they were in the air? She was practically certain she could pull enough magic to soften her landing, but not positive. I’ll take my chances. She swung into place where the dragon’s neck and body connected. She needs me, waited hundreds of years for me. She’s not going to kill me. At least, not right now.

“Perceptive of you,” sounded in her mind. It had a snarky you may have won this round, but I have more cards up my sleeve intonation.

“Damn it!” she muttered. “Between you and Fionn and Rune, I don’t have any privacy at all.”

“What were you talking with Gwydion about?” Dewi ignored Aislinn’s comment.

“Strategy. I needed to hear what he had to say. All my fighting until now has been done either alone or with one or two others.”

The whirr of the dragon’s wings—soothing and hypnotic—was loud in Aislinn’s ears. She rather liked her perch atop Dewi, at least when the dragon wasn’t being possessive and demanding. The massive bulk of what had to be their objective was just coming into view. Like most buildings in the southwest, it was stucco, with rounded archways and a flat roof. Much of the structure had fallen in. She was astonished something that sturdy had succumbed to decay in only a few years. Maybe the prisoners trashed it when they escaped after the Surge.



“Well.” The dragon sounded annoyed. “Are you going to share our strategy with me?”

Dewi’s question startled her. “Sorry. I figured you already knew. That you’d talked to one of the Celts. Anyway, Gwydion and the rest of them have split the humans into four groups; one will approach from each direction. You and I will touch down in the middle. I will join Fionn’s group, and we’ll storm the gates.”



“What will I be doing?”

“Uh, I’m not sure. Can you make yourself small enough to get inside the prison?”

Dewi snorted. “Maybe, but I do not like this. I want the battle outside so I can kill the enemy. I suffered the Old Ones, pretending to be something I was not, for long years while I waited for you. Now I would indulge my baser passions.”

“I’ll do what I can,” Aislinn murmured, not at all certain she’d have any control over much of anything once the fighting heated up. She thought about apologizing for Dewi’s long wait, but didn’t. After all, it wasn’t her fault she was linked to some sort of clan dragon. She hadn’t even known about her until she’d gone into Taltos.

“Look sharp,” Dewi crowed.

Aislinn’s thoughts scattered like so much dust. She scanned the ground. Bal’ta poured out of the prison ruins. “Looks like you’ll get your wish.” She grinned. Now that it came down to it, she welcomed a chance to kill those bastards. “Wait a minute.”

“What?”

“They used to be light avoidant. That’s why we were sure we’d be fighting them inside. What happened?”

“Simple enough.” The dragon made an hmphing sound. “Slototh wove a spell to protect them. In fact, I can see it. Look, Daughter. It’s that blackish shroud hanging in pieces over everything.”

Aislinn sharpened her vision with magic. Sure enough, a translucent sheathing drifted in the air. It was worrisome that she’d needed the dragon to point it out. She vowed to be more observant. Sloppiness could get her killed quicker than anything else.

“Did the Celts tell each human to ward himself?” Dewi broke into her thoughts.

Aislinn rolled her eyes. “They’d have done that without any directions. Do you think we’re so stupid that we want to die?”

“Just checking. In battle, as in everything else, details make all the difference.” She paused a beat. “You need to work on your attitude.”



Like hell I do.

Flames belched from Dewi’s mouth. She banked low over a mass of Bal’ta. Dragon fire blasted through the sheathing and engulfed them in flames that didn’t go out, even when the abominations rolled on the ground. Slototh’s mantle reknit itself around the hole. Fear settled in Aislinn’s belly. Slototh was powerful. Maybe the Celts had underestimated him. If he was the weakest of the lot… Don’t think about that. I need to fight what’s in front of me.





Aislinn took careful aim, thrilled when a Bal’ta exploded. She did it again. And again. Her worries dissolved in blood lust. All four companies were in the thick of things now. The stink of magic hung over everything. Every time dark magic collided with their magic, an explosion buffeted them. Aislinn clung to the dragon with her legs and called destruction down on so many Bal’ta, she lost count. The hairy ape-like creatures blanketed the ground. Dead humans did, too. Not as many, but their side was suffering losses.