Part 55: Aux Armes Citoyens!
Beck paced around the room, Josephine and Moira magically pinned to the wall at his feet. He had been searching a good ten minutes for the entrance to the Knights' base. Thus far Jo and Moira had been able to keep up their poker faces. Jo knew that she was supposed to burn the wardrobe if they got close, but she had no idea how to do that without tipping him off.
Across the room were the weapons they had been successfully defending the house with up until Beck had shown up. They were mostly empty anyway, only the bow and one arrow remained.
Beck got right into Jo's face, making her want to throw up. She resisted the urge, but reflected on how fitting it would be if she did vomit right into his smarmy face.
"I'm going to ask one more time Misses Blake, where is the doorway? The Knights' sorcerers have obviously masked it well. Even with my power I cannot sense it, but you can tell me where it is."
"Brûler en enfer salaud" Jo said, pouring every ounce of strength she had left into the words rather than any unconscious indication of where the portal was.
Beck grimaced as he stood up straight. He put his hands behind his back and continued pacing. "I've never liked you French. You always resist what is best for you. The last time I was in France it was the same, people taking to the sewers to fight a battle that they had already lost. Master Paoli and I killed many of your countrymen then, back when we first discovered our abilities." He smiled fondly. "Your country fell, what makes you think it will be any different now?"
"Because now" Came a grunting voice from the doorway. "She has help."
Warner charged in, a large broadsword in hand. Beck conjured a fireball in his palm and lobbed it at him, but Warner rolled out of the way. In the commotion Jo began crawling along the dusty floor. Flames and small throwing knives arced through the air above her but she deliberately ignored them as she made her way to the discarded bow.
Beck finally hit Warner with a fireball, pushing him against the wall. He held out his hand and the sword flew into it. "I'd ask you if you have any last words, but I really don't care" Beck shrugged. He jammed the sword through Warner's chest, his last breath in his throat. The sword went all the way through his body and stuck into the wall, pinning the man that had been Michael Jeffery Warner upright. "Now where were we?" Beck said, clasping his hands as he turned.
Jo held the bow ready, the last arrow notched and aimed at Beck's heart. "I was going to ask for last words" Jo said as she released the bowstring. "But I really don't care."
Beck fell to the floor, the shaft of the arrow sticking straight up. In a few hours Jo could process what she had just done, right now there was still work to do. She helped Moira up and walked over to the wardrobe.
"I think we need more arrows, oui?"
Moira nodded, trying to avoid looking at Warner's body. "I think you're right."
