Chapter 47: Woman in Green (Patreon)

There was only one player still standing—Enari.

Staggering around, I turned in her direction. The mage’s shield was still up, but it had grown noticeably dimmer.

Only six fighters remained to face her. Their number included Soren, Eoman and Lirr. My brother’s face was a mask of concentration and he watched Enari with all the focused attention of a lion stalking his prey. The same could be said of the other warriors, too.

As I watched, Enari pointed her staff at a fighter.

She didn’t release her casting immediately, though. Taking careful aim, she fired.

But still missed.

The remaining fighters were amongst the best of Eoman’s people and Enari was obviously going to have to work much harder to kill them.

Something troubled me, though. “Why hasn’t she tried any other spells?” I wondered aloud.

“She did,” a voice said from behind.

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Odenna approaching. Behind her, at the arena’s edge were two horribly mangled corpses. Glenda and Groff. Wisely, I decided not to ask after them. “She did?” I asked, addressing Odenna’s comment instead.

The elf nodded. “While you were taking care of these,” she said, pointing out the four burned corpses, “the mage tried a host of other attacks, but she enjoyed even less success with those than she is currently having with her lightning spell.”

“Uh-huh,” I remarked, repressing a shudder. If twenty corpses represented less success, I didn’t want to ever see what true success looked like. It was time to help the warriors, though, so refraining from further comment, I took a step forward.

Pain shot up my leg.

I grimaced. I’d forgotten about my injuries.

“Want me to pull those out?” Odenna asked, eyeing the two shafts sticking out from me.

“Please,” I groaned. Reaching into my belt, I fumbled for my last health potion. “Come here, Ada.”

The celestial dragged herself closer.

“You two did well,” Odenna said, keeping an eye on Enari as she pulled out the arrow from my shoulder.

“Thanks,” I said, through teeth clenched. That had hurt. Ignoring the blood spilling from the wound, I unstoppered the vial in my hand and bent down. “Open up, Ada.”

“No,” Odenna said, stopping me.

I glanced at her in surprise.

That was the exact moment Odenna chose to yank out the second arrow. It hurt even more.

“You could’ve warned me,” I moaned.

She shrugged. “That wouldn’t have made it hurt any less.” Ignoring my glare, she went on, “Use that potion on yourself.” She pulled out the vial I’d given her earlier. “I’ll help Adalinda.”

I didn’t argue and upended the potion in my mouth.

You have restored yourself to full health with a moderate healing potion.

Odenna has restored Adalinda to full health with a moderate healing potion.

“Ah,” Adalinda and I exclaimed at the same time as the pain of our wounds faded.

“Better?” Odenna asked, her lips twitching.

I nodded.

“Good,” the elf pronounced. “Now, let’s go see this finished.”

✵ ✵ ✵

Odenna, Adalinda, and I didn’t join the circle of fighters around the much-beset mage. That would have been dangerously close, especially for the old elf.

Instead, we stopped a respectful fifteen yards away. That, I judged, would give me enough time to throw Odenna to safety if Enari turned her lightning on us.

The woman did not miss our presence.

Nor the fact that she was bereft of allies. She scowled at us, then to my surprise, planted her staff in the ground.

The fighters danced forward, blades ready. This was an opportunity too good to squander.

“Wait!” Enari shouted. “I want to talk.”

Wrenching to a halt, Eoman flung up his hand. “Stop!”

Immediately the fighters froze.

“Why should we listen to you?” Eoman barked, his eyes fixed on the woman in green.

Enari flung down her staff. “There, I’m unarmed.”

Eoman’s eyes narrowed but forbore comment.

“Will you kill unarmed woman, Eo?” she went on, her voice changing as she spoke.

My brows furrowed. There was something about the woman’s voice, something tantalizingly familiar… Realization struck, and my eyes widened.

It can’t be!

Whipping around my head I looked to Eoman, searching for confirmation. He’d gone pale as a sheet.

“Celeste,” he whispered, lowering his hands. “How…?”

Enari—Celeste?—laughed and before our eyes, transformed into the woman we all knew. Only her dress stayed unchanged. “I will explain everything. Just give me a chance.”

The tension in my shoulders eased.

“Stay sharp, girl,” Odenna hissed in low voice that didn’t carry to the others. “Whoever or whatever this creature is, she’s dangerous.”

Odenna, I realized, had never met Eoman’s partner. “It’s alright, it’s just Celeste. Eoman’s wife. She’s no—”

“Maybe,” Odenna growled softly. “But have you forgotten she is also the woman who just killed twenty of our best fighters and has you all so besotted you’ve lost your wits!”

I stared at the elf numbly for a second, then abruptly the fog around my mind cleared.

You have detected a hostile mental intrusion!

You are no longer besotted.

I blinked, coming back to my senses. The woman—Celeste—Enari—whoever she was, had just bewitched me! But if she could do this all along, why wait so long?

The spell’s effect must be limited somehow.

“Ada, did you feel that?”

The celestial didn’t answer.

Concerned, I glanced in her direction. She was staring fixedly in Celeste’s direction.

“Ada?”

No answer.

She’s besotted, too, I realized. Most of our party were, I saw, scanning the faces of the others. In fact, only Odenna and Soren wore expressions of naked suspicion.

“It’s a trick,” Soren warned. “Don’t trust her, Eoman.”

“A trick, dear boy?” Celeste asked, turning to him. “Why would you think that? If you want the truth, ask your sister.”

Celeste and Soren turned in my direction, and only through the dint of iron will did I keep my face in the same impassive mask it had been before Odenna had awoken me to the danger we faced.

I stepped forward. “It’s true, brother,” I said, my voice ringing false to my own ears.

Soren’s eyes narrowed.

“I saw Celeste after the Devils’ attack,” I said, drawing closer to him. “They tortured her, brother, doing horrible things that no woman should have to endure.” That had all been an act, I realized belatedly. One, I’d wholly bought into. “She can’t be working with them,” I continued.

I might have been laying it on a bit thick, and I saw understanding brighten in Soren’s eyes before he shuttered his gaze again. But hopefully, Celeste sensed nothing amiss.

“Is that so?” he asked softly as I stopped at his side.

“It is,” I said, squeezed his hand in warning.

“There you go,” Celeste said brightly. “You see, I’m no threat.”

Soren lowered his blade.

“If you’re so harmless, why the shield then?” Odenna demanded abruptly. The old elf had not commented on my words or actions thus far. Did she know what I was up to?

Celeste turned her way. “Odenna, isn’t it?”

“That’s right,” the old elf replied harshly.

“How can I convince you I mean no harm?” Celeste asked.

“Easy.” Odenna shrugged. “Lower your shield.”

I hid a smile. Clever elf.

Celeste hesitated the shook her head. “I can’t do that.”

“Oh? Why’s that?” Odenna asked, her voice dangerously low.

“I can see you mean me harm,” Celeste replied gravely.

Eoman stepped forward. “Please Cele, do it. For me.” He raised his arms imploringly. “I’ve missed you, my dear.”

I drew mana, readying a casting in my mind. Would Celeste do as he asked?

For a drawn-out moment, the mage deliberated his request. “I’m sorry, Eo,” she said finally. “I can’t.”

He sighed. “I thought you’d say that.” Before anyone else could move, he slashed at her shield. Once. Twice.

Soren kicked into motion. I did too. And from behind us, I heard Odenna begin muttering.

No one else reacted, though.

Celeste’s face devolved into fury. “Fools!” she snapped, bending down to retrieve her staff.

Soren beat her to the punch.

Flinging himself forward, he dove into Celeste from the side, sending her protective bubble tumbling across the arena. Eoman, his face a mask of hate, followed after, and brought his sword crashing down on the mage’s shield as it bounced around.

Eventually, it cracked.

Enari’s shield has been destroyed!

Eoman did not escape unscathed, though. Skidding to a stop as the protective bubble around her vanished, Celeste flung up her hands.

Lightning flared out, bright, dazzling, and deadly.

Enari has critically injured Eoman.

The bolts struck Eoman mid-center, and he was flung aside, a strangled cry on his lips.

“See to him,” I panted to Soren. The two of us were racing across the sands in pursuit of the pair.

“But—” he began.

“I don’t have any potions,” I rasped.

Wordlessly, Soren peeled off, leaving me to face Celeste alone as she climbed to her feet. She laughed shakily when she caught sight of me. “You can’t take me, girl.”

“We’ll see,” I said, drawing my blade.

“A dagger?” Celeste exclaimed. “How pitiful!”

Declining to reply, I wound back my arm, then threw it forward in the same motion.

Celeste was quick. Throwing herself to the side, she evaded the flying blade. But not the second one that followed in its wake.

You have critically injured Enari! Your target is bleeding (ongoing damage sustained).

The woman staggered back, clutching the dagger buried in her stomach. “Well,” she said, grinning toothily despite the blood soaking her dress. “I guess you showed me.” Wrenching out the dagger, she flung it back at me. “But I’m not done yet.”

It was a poor throw, and I sidestepped the dagger easily. Drawing my wand, I stepped forward. “We’ll see about—

Enari has trigger-cast bloody revenge!

Pain blossomed into my lower back, and something thudded into it. It was the dagger I knew—the selfsame one I’d just dodged. Somehow, Celeste had bespelled it in the short time it had been in her possession.

Enari has critically injured you! You are bleeding (ongoing damage sustained).

I dropped to my knees, my mouth working soundlessly. The life was draining out of me, and I was helpless to stop it.

Celeste cackled. “Doesn’t feel nice, does—”

A fist of air slammed into her from the side, and she went flying.

Odenna has injured Enari.

“Goddamn you, you old witch,” Celeste said, swaying as you got back to her feet. “Where did—”

A second fist of air sent her tumbling back.

“By the Powers!” Celeste muttered as she staggered erect again.

Odenna raised her hands.

Cursing foully, Celeste turned and ran.

But not aimlessly, I realized.

I pushed myself erect. Too slowly, though, far too slowly. The wound in my back left me helpless, consigning me to the role of spectator. “No…” I croaked. “Odenna… don’t.”

Not surprisingly, the elf didn’t hear me, and a heartbeat later, another spell drove into Celeste’s back.

This time, the mage went flying forward, but that only helped her reach her goal: the shimmering curtain of white hanging in the center of the arena—the dungeon portal.

Enari has left sector 2,163 of the Forever Kingdom.

…

…

Enari has entered sector 40,294 of the Endless Dungeon.

Enari has died from her wounds!

✵ ✵ ✵

The End.

Here ends Book 2 of the Grand Game, Elana.

Elana’s adventures will continue in Empyrean’s Fury.

Coming soon!

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Happy reading!

Tom Elliot